Tobacco and the Environment: The Continuous Reduction of Worldwide Energy Source Use for Green Leaf Curing

Air-, flue-, fire-, and sun-cured, tobacco types require post-harvest curing of green leaves to produce optimum subjective and objective qualities for storage and subsequent processing and manufacture. Materials for construction of curing barns vary widely between countries. The major use of heating fuels within such structures is for flue-cured tobacco. Choice of energy sources, coal, wood, oil or gas depends on local availability, cost, and relative efficiencies. The vital importance of reducing such materials to a minimum has been recognised for many years by research into improving barn and furnace design and construction. Consumption of wood for curing has been shown to represent a minute proportion of total world wide consumer use. To ensure local availability, the growing of trees by flue cured farmers on a personal, self-sufficient, sustainable basis is well underway in parts of Africa, Asia, and South and Central America. Tobacco production, within an environmental farming system, on an economic basis, is discussed and strongly stressed.