Global Tobacco Supply Chains and Farming

Applicants for this PhD project should apply for the PhD programme in Social and Policy Sciences: https://www.bath.ac.uk/study/pg/applications.pl?department=soc-pol

Although much is understood about the major tobacco manufacturers, less research has documented evolving tobacco leaf supply chains, including alternatives to tobacco growing in countries, mainly in Africa, that are highly dependent on tobacco leaf. The broad field of research would be into the dynamics of tobacco production in selected countries in East/Southern Africa, with particular reference to the drivers and effects of public policy towards the sector. Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique are all among the top twenty producers of tobacco leaf in the world, hence there would be a particular case for focusing on two or more of these. The research can be broken down as follows:

(a) To review changes in the scale and pattern of tobacco production within selected countries and the causal drivers of these changes (covering land, labour markets, finance, population, climate, relative prices, subsidies, taxes, trade regulation, diversification opportunities).
(b) To review in particular the package of national government measures that support and/or deter tobacco production (including input and output taxes and subsidies, non-tariff barriers). The standard economic approach here is to estimate effective rates of protection, but there is scope for adapting this.
(c) To research drivers of change in these policies, including the relative influence (and resourcing) of national government departments and agencies, producer associations, aid donors, multilateral organisations, NGOs, national and international businesses.
(d) To situate this research within wider policy debates over the linkage from agricultural production to improved nutrition, the welfare effects of specialisation in cash crops and the governance of other products with adverse health effects in consumption (e.g. alcoholic beverages, and khat).
(e) To situate research into tobacco supply in selected countries in the context of regional and global trade relations and power dynamics.

You will be joining a thriving, growing, research group with global reach. You will be part of the Stop Tobacco Organisations & Products (STOP) project; an innovative $15m project funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, aimed at developing a tobacco industry watchdog to delivery policy change. It brings together the global leaders in in tobacco industry monitoring and research, advocacy, accountability and communication. This unique combination will help ensure our research is widely and effectively communicated and maximally impactful. More information can be found here: https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/join-our-internationally-recognised-tobacco-control-research-group/

Please ensure that you quote the supervisor’s name and project title in the ‘Your research interests’ section.

More information about applying for a PhD at Bath may be found here:
http://www.bath.ac.uk/guides/how-to-apply-for-doctoral-study/

Anticipated start date: 20th April 2019

Applicants should hold, or expect to receive, a First or high Upper Second Class UK Honours degree (or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK) in a relevant subject. A Masters degree or appropriate research training is also normally required. We consider applicants without Masters or appropriate research training on a case by case basis.