The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has agreed to provide a four-year grant to the University of Virginia, to support the Southern Tobacco Communities Project. The Project includes the following four components:

• Southern Tobacco Communities Project
• Satellite Working Groups
• Resource Expertise
• State Tobacco Community Dialogue

 A variety of representatives from the six leading tobacco-growing states will convene to explore concerns of tobacco growing communities and develop ways to strengthen these communities.

The Roundtable will consist of committed, experienced, credible representatives from all those groups who hold a stake in these communities. This will include representatives of growers and agricultural advocacy groups, community development groups, community health groups, environmental and land preservation groups, researchers, and legislators. About two dozen individuals will meet up to eight times over a period of about two years, with time in between meetings to explore concerns and ideas with experts and various constituencies as appropriate. Funding is available for travel and meeting costs for members.

 The Roundtable agenda will be determined by the members and thus is open. Initial interest has been expressed in exploring questions of economic diversification, the tobacco program of price supports and quotas, and funding options for economic diversification. The goal is to determine the range of choices available for sustaining these communities and the support for those choices.

 Facilitating the Roundtable will be Frank Dukes and Richard Collins of the Institute for Environmental Negotiation, University of Virginia. Drs. Dukes and Collins served as convenors and facilitators for the two-year Virginia Tobacco Communities Project, which led to legislation supporting Extension funding, access to capital, and rural development strategies.

 Satellite Working Groups

A number of topical work groups will likely be formed to explore specific interests of the members of the Regional Roundtable. Among the areas already identified are the tobacco program, land-use laws and regulations, diversification opportunities (including biotechnology), and funding for diversification. These work groups will include members of the Regional Roundtable, other interested parties, and resource experts with special knowledge.

Resource Expertise

The Rural Economic Analysis Program (REAP) at Virginia Tech will be developing a model tobacco adjustment matrix for tobacco producing communities and initiate the development of a training process for dissemination of the model across the southern region. Other expertise will be invited to participate as appropriate.

 State Tobacco Community Dialogues

Each of the six leading tobacco-growing states will convene its own stakeholder dialogue group to explore needs of diversification and other interests identified by participants. These state groups can provide a link between the Regional Roundtable and local communities, organizations, and state policymakers. State groups will be developed according to the needs and concerns of each state, and will thus vary by agenda and participation.

 EXPLANATION

 Southern Tobacco Communities Roundtable Purpose

 The growing, processing, manufacturing, and marketing of tobacco is changing dramatically. For a variety of reasons, including reduction in domestic use of tobacco products due to health and other considerations, competition from international growers facilitated by support from American manufacturers, and increasing mechanization of tobacco production, forced changes are occurring within the South¹s tobacco growing communities. Both income from tobacco sales and the numbers of growers have declined significantly in recent years. Even in growers' best-case scenario from their own perspective, where American tobacco continues to be in demand as the premium tobacco in the world, many fewer growers will be working than is now the case. This change could be devastating to tobacco-growing families and their communities, particularly in areas where poverty and unemployment is already high.

 There are no easy or simple answers. But individuals in these communities and others who are interested in helping do not have to wait passively for things to get worse. Tobacco growers and their communities have many real assets, including:

• Skills and experience developed over generations of gainful production of the land;

 

• Local governments and civic organizations who are acutely interested in their communities' economic and general prospects;

 

• Research and planning capabilities found in the region's institutions of higher learning;

 

• State agencies which provide agricultural and economic development assistance;

 

• The benefits of collaboration among the six states confronting sinilar problems: Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia.

 The Southern Tobacco Communities Roundtable will provide a forum for these diverse interests to work together to explore concerns and options and develop strategies for economic diversification that work. Recommendations of this group would be forwarded to the Southern Legislative Conference, to state agricultural and economic development agencies, to local government, to Cooperative Extension officials, and of course to growers and the communities in which they live and work.

 Roundtable Agenda

The Roundtable is an opportunity to explore a variety of concerns and options with a diverse group of participants who have considerable expertise. Specific topics of interest will be selected by the membership of the Roundtable. Based on preliminary discussions, primary candidates for discussion include:

• The structure of the tobacco program of price supports and quotas, potential support from health advocates and others for the program. and potential reforms, including the costs and benefits of a buyout;

 

• The viability of various deversification enterprises, including supplemental crops and livestock, other uses of tobacco, and on and off-farm non-agricultural opportunities;

 

• The need for and the availability of financial resources for diversification, including federal and state allocations, a dedicated tax on state or federal tobacco products, and private foundation support.

 Membership will represent the diverse stakeholders from the six primary tobacco-growing states: Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. It is important that the many sources of useful knowledge and expertise be brought into this forum. It is equally important that the Roundtable be legitimate and be seen as credible by citizens as well as local, state and federal officials who might be called upon to act upon its recommendations. Members will therefore be recruited from the following categories:

• Tobacco growers and other farmers, to be chosen from nominations by the Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative and Flue-cured Tobacco Stabilization Board, state Farm Bureaus, and state tobacco advocacy organizations (e.g., Concerned Friends of Tobacco);

 

• Representatives from affiliated interests, such as processing and warehouse concerns;
• State legislators, with appropriate political party balance;

 

• Representatives from the agriculture or appropriate economic development agencies from each state;

 

• Representatives of economic, community development, land preservation, or related organizations whose knowledge, experience, legitimacy, or other attributes would bring value to the Roundtable;

 

• Community health advocates with demonstrated interest and experience in economic and community development.

 In addition, a number of resource personnel from state, federal, and non-profit organizations will attend meetings and provide information and research services to the Roundtable. These participants will not be ³voting² members of the Roundtable. Research support will be provided by the Rural Economic Analysis Program (REAP) of Virginia Tech.

 It is also anticipated that various ³liaison² groups, which could include members who are not part of the Roundtable, would be established to explore specific issues in greater depth.

Funding

 Primary funding for the Southern Tobacco Communities Project is provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Funding from other sources will be sought to support state and local discussions and affiliated activities.

 Logistics

 It is anticipated that there will be as many as eight meetings over a period of just over two years. In addition, sub-committees or liaison groups may be formed which will conduct business either by telephone or other electronic communication.

 Expenses for items such as meeting space, meals during meetings, copying and mailing information, and conference calls is provided. In addition, there is some funding to cover travel and lodging for those who need such assistance.

 It is anticipated that meetings would be held in a central location; however, depending upon the interest of Roundtable members and the ability to pay expenses, meetings may be rotated among the six states.

 Facilitators

 Institute for Environmental Negotiation

 IEN is a research, teaching, and service arm of the University of Virginia. The IEN served as convenor and facilitator for the 1994-1996 Virginia Tobacco Communities Roundtable and seeks to create forums for dialogue, advocacy, understanding, and discovery in areas involving public issues of considerable controversy.
Nov. 6, 1996

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