Tobacco leaf sourcing

Our leaf supply sourcing model

We have a unique way of securing tobacco leaf. We source approximately half of our global leaf supply through directly contracted small-scale growers, with the other half also coming from direct contract, but from third-party suppliers.
We take full responsibility for the relationship with our directly contracted tobacco growers and can make a positive and measurable impact on their wellbeing and livelihoods.

  • 71,000+

    directly contracted tobacco growers

  • 600+

    our agronomy technicians

  • 6+

    visits per grower per crop

  • 10

    countries where we have leaf operations


Various information on tobacco leaf sourcing can be found at the following links.

Read more about our Tobacco leaf sourcing on JT International website.

Read more about our Responsible procurement on JT International website.

Empowering growers and communities

Our direct contracting model is rooted in a deep respect for growers. By working closely with them, we build trust, ensure fair pricing, and provide tailored agronomy support to enhance productivity and quality. This approach directly uplifts rural economies and strengthens farming communities, ensuring their prosperity and resilience.

Grower living income

Target

In our tobacco business, to enhance grower livelihoods and strengthen long-term supply chain resilience, all our directly contracted growers will be supported through our Living Income Strategic Framework*, leveraging our programs to help narrow or close identified gaps.

  • * Living Income Strategic Framework: A framework that sets out the vision, mission, commitments and strategic direction for supporting tobacco growers in their pursuit of achieving a decent standard of living. While all directly contracted growers fall within its scope, the nature and intensity of support are determined through data-driven assessments, taking into account factors such as country and regional income context, farm structure, and the scale of any identified living income gaps. This ensures that actions are prioritized and tailored, rather than uniformly applied

Progress

We achieved full implementation of our Living Income Calculator across all our directly contracted tobacco leaf-growing regions. Moving forward, we are committed to identifying living income gaps each year and using our grower support programs to help narrow or close them.

How do you address the risk of child labor on third-party tobacco farms?

We collaborate with the ECLT Foundation, other tobacco companies, suppliers, and the International Tobacco Growers’ Association to eliminate child labor. This collaboration is essential for co-developing solutions and achieving large-scale impact.
ECLT aims to create thriving agricultural communities free of child labor through high-impact projects and technical advocacy. These efforts align with the Sustainable Tobacco Program to leverage strengths and synchronize efforts for greater impact.
Since 2011, ECLT has helped remove over 370,000 children from child labor and financially empowered over 170,000 families.

Learn more about their work and impact on ECLT’s website.

Achieving Reduction of Child Labor in Support of Education (ARISE)

Our flagship program ARISE - Achieving Reduction of Child Labor in Support of Education - has been committed to tackling child labor in our tobacco growing communities since 2012. Initially developed by JTI, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and non-profit organization Winrock International, ARISE aims to end child labor in communities where JTI sources tobacco leaf. Today it continues to drive positive change by implementing robust solutions to prevent and address child labor.
Through ARISE, we educate children, families, farmers and communities about the need to end child labor. We listen to their concerns and help them understand the long-term benefits of educating children. We provide families with the chance to develop skills and find new ways to earn an income. We train farmers and communities so they can find new ways of working and change cultural beliefs that put children at risk. We provide schools with resources, teachers with training, and governments with information so they can create relevant laws and enforce them. Our activities align with national, regional and local government policies to improve regulatory frameworks in support of improving labor practices, specifically reducing and eliminating child labor.

Read more about the ARISE program

Human rights in grower communities

Target

To uphold human rights across our leaf supply chain and enhance the provenance of our leaf supply, by 2030 our tobacco business will monitor 100% of farms in its direct tobacco leaf supply chain origins on human rights (including but not limited to child labor, forced labor, rights of workers and workplace health & safety) and annually disclose findings and key actions taken.

Progress

We conducted human rights monitoring by checking the status of compliance with Agricultural Labor Practices (ALP) and other standards in tobacco leaf-growing regions where we have direct contracts. We confirmed breaches that jeopardized workers’ lives, health, and liberty, and took corrective actions to address them. We will continue to address human rights issues among growers by continuing this initiative and combining it with Human Rights Impact Assessments and other means. In addition, the status of the relevant KPIs and preventive and corrective actions are as follows.

Relevant KPIs

  • Number of confirmed extreme breaches: 17
  • Total number of corrective actions implemented: 17
  • Total ratio of corrective actions implemented: 100%

Status of preventive and corrective actions implemented

  • Number of community members and teachers participating in ARISE* child labor education and awareness activities: 80,196
  • Number of households with improved incomes as a result of socio-economic empowerment: 2,320
  • Number of government policies or plans developed, revised or amended as a result of ARISE engagement: 1
  • Number of identified at-risk children withdrawn or prevented from child labor and enrolled in education: 2,844

Please see the ARISE program website for details.

  • * ARISE - Achieving Reduction of Child Labor in Support of Education is a collaborative and long standing approach to tackling the presence of child labor in tobacco-growing communities. ARISE was originally developed in 2011 by JTI together with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Winrock International, with these partnerships concluding in 2018. Today, ARISE is fully led and implemented by JTI in collaboration with local partners, building on the foundations established in its early years.

Do you collaborate and share best practice with other industry players?

In cases where our agronomy technicians identify labor-related issues, they report their observations to our local management, or directly to the growers depending on the nature of the issue.
During country-level SCDD Governance Committee meetings, we will use our 4-step framework to prepare an appropriate response and help our growers address root causes. To ensure a streamlined and consistent approach, we continuously map synergies between our SCDD process and the ALP program with the Sustainable Tobacco Program (STP), an industry-wide platform enabling businesses to collaborate on human rights, environmental issues, and other sustainability challenges, and to encourage sustainable agriculture through a continuous improvement process.

Supplier screening and supply chain due diligence

Target

The JT Group will screen all key suppliers against ESG criteria.
Furthermore, by 2025, our tobacco business will proactively manage ESG risks with all its critical suppliers, to ensure a sustainable business continuity. By 2028, all tobacco-supplying entities will have ongoing Supply Chain Due Diligence (SCDD) maturity assessments* to enhance their maturity and drive continuous improvement across the supply chain.
By 2025, we will complete supply chain due diligence of all key suppliers for our processed food business and will also perform regular due diligence thereafter.

  • * SCDD maturity assessment: Conducted using a set of questions structured around the full SCDD cycle, covering governance, risk identification and prioritization, response and measurement, reporting and communication, and leaf provenance

Progress

The JT Group as a whole screened 99.5% (99.6% in 2024) of its key suppliers against ESG criteria. We will continue to follow up with suppliers for whom screening has not been completed.
In the tobacco business, we conducted ESG assessments of all critical suppliers. We also undertook focused initiatives to strengthen the quality and consistency of supply chain due diligence reporting. This included revising the questionnaire, and issuing an updated guidance document to clarify expectations for suppliers, strengthen the evidence base for verification, and support continuous improvement in due diligence maturity.
In our processed food business, we surveyed suppliers across our supply chain to gain an understanding of the status of their human rights initiatives. In order to gain a deeper understanding, we expanded the scope of these interviews and questionnaires beyond Tier 1 suppliers to include Tier 2 and 3 suppliers in 2025. As a result, we were able to confirm that initiatives have been implemented to a certain level within the distribution channels of our main suppliers.

How do you identify labor-related issues on tobacco farms?

We require directly contracted growers and third-party leaf suppliers to implement and monitor our Agricultural Labor Practices (ALP). ALP sets out the minimum labor standards we expect to be met on farms and any non-adherence is recorded through a farm visitation program.
We also conduct Supply Chain Impact Assessments, which can identify labor related issues, if present.

Read more on ALP in our booklet.

Ensuring leaf provenance and traceability

Through direct engagement with growers and third-party suppliers, we maintain a transparent supply chain. This clarity allows us to better monitor quality, compliance, and sustainability practices, ensuring every leaf meets our high standards and aligns with our ethical values.

Promoting sustainability principles

Our focus on agronomy, extension services, and sustainability initiatives demonstrates our commitment to robust environmental stewardship. From soil health to water conservation, we support practices that protect natural resources for future generations. This is complemented through the work we do to uphold human rights, labor standards, and implement effective governance at every step of our procurement process.

Driving responsible partnerships

Whether directly with growers or via third-party suppliers, we want to partner with those who share our vision for ethical practices. We hold them accountable to the same high standards that we set for ourselves.

A win-win approach

Our approach to leaf procurement is a reflection of who we are as a company: a global business that prioritizes integrity, sustainability, and respect for all stakeholders. By integrating responsible procurement into our core operations, we ensure long-term value for growers, suppliers, consumers, and the planet.

Related links