The growing of tobacco began in America over 3,000 years ago. Indians began to roll tobacco leaves until they obtained a type of large cigar which they called “tabaco”.

Before the discovery of America, tobacco was above all a sacred plant used for healing by priests and medicine-men. It was used to communicate with the spirits and appease pain.

In 1492, Christopher COLUMBUS discovered tobacco in Cuba and imported it to Europe for the first time.

In the Spanish and Portuguese court, tobacco was used for a long time simply as an ornamental plant. It was only in the mid 16th Century that the personal doctor of Philippe II began to popularize tobacco as a “universal medicine”.

In 1556, André THEVET, monk from the Angoulême region brought back tobacco seeds to France for the first time.

In 1560, tobacco established itself in France thanks to Jean NICOT who, convinced of the plant's healing properties, sent some in powder form to Queen Catherine of Medici in order to treat the painful migraines of her son François II. The treatment was successful and tobacco became the “Queen's herb” whose sale in powder form was restricted to apothecaries. In homage to Jean NICOT, tobacco was henceforth called “Nicotiana Tabacum”.

During the reign of Louis XIII, tobacco was consumed as a medicine in powder form but was increasingly smoked in a pipe out of pleasure.

In 1629, the Cardinal of RICHELIEU instigated a customs' excise on the importation of tobacco which, at the time, still came from the New World. This decision resulted 7 years later in the first plantations in France in Clairac (Lot-et-Garonne).

In the mid 17th Century, there were already a large number of plantations, particularly in the valleys of the Lot-et-Garonne, in Lorraine and Normandy.

In 1674, during the reign of Louis XIV, COLBERT decreed the “Privilege for producing and selling” which was first granted to private individuals, then exclusively to the Compagnie des Indes. Tobacco growing became a monopoly.

In 1719, growing tobacco was prohibited throughout France and punishment could even be capital. The only exceptions were Franche-Comté, Flanders and Alsace.

In 1791, the National Assembly proclaimed the right to grow, produce and retail tobacco.

In 1810, Napoleon I re-established the State monopoly.

From 1816, authorization to grow tobacco was gradually given to a few departments.

In 1950, 55 departments grew tobacco with 105,000 producers covering a surface area of 70,000 acres.

On the 21st April 1970, the European Community regulation on the setting up of a common organization of markets in the raw tobacco sector came into force, bringing with it the abolition of monopolies. Growers immediately sought how to structure themselves from an economic point of view, since they were now in charge of production.

On the 21st January 1971, the first tobacco cooperative was created in Alsace. For the next 10 years, other cooperatives were set up in all regions.

In 1979, UCAPT (The Agricultural Union for Tobacco Growers) was founded (in 2009 it was renamed "France Tabac U.S.C.A.").

In 1985, France Tabac started up the processing plant for light-air & flue-cured varieties in Sarlat, Dordogne.

In 1993, the EU reforms the common organization of markets (CMO) in the raw tobacco sector. Production quotas are introduced and the European subsidies are standardized in the various countries of production.

In 1995, privatization of SEITA, the former French state-owned tobacco monopoly.

In 2006, entry into force of a new CMO in the raw tobacco sector. This regulation, passed by the European Council in 2004, leads to the complete abolition of direct payments coupled to the production of tobacco from 2010 forward. Therefore, some European regions experience a drastic decrease of the production volume, or even a total discontinuation of the production. In France, the production volume decreases significantly.

 

We should like to express our thanks to the Tobacco Museum of Bergerac for having made available the photographs and illustrations on this page.