"Moral Farming of Immoral Tobacco: The Shia Community, the Tobacco Market, and the Future of Lebanon" explores the ethical and operational complexities of managing a controversial industry in a fragile, divided state neighboring war-torn Syria. It argues that in weak states with porous borders and a thriving underground economy, state monopolies on harmful products provide a more responsible alternative to unregulated markets.
The book offers a comprehensive analysis of tobacco's historical, cultural, and political significance in Lebanon, with a focus on its deep-rooted ties to the Shia community. It explores how tobacco shaped Lebanon's political landscape and, in turn, how the country's politics influenced the tobacco sector. The narrative highlights tobacco's integration into Shia identity and examines the interplay between political Shi'ism, the state-owned tobacco monopoly (RLTT), and post-civil war power-sharing arrangements, illustrating how tobacco evolved into both a symbol of resistance and a mechanism for societal stabilization. The RLTT's strategic responses to regional challenges, including the Syrian crisis and a growing black market, highlight its role in stabilizing Lebanon's economy amidst state decline.
By linking ethnography, market dynamics, and the failures of anti-tobacco campaigns, the narrative offers a unique lens to understand the complexities of Lebanon's tobacco market within its socio-political framework. This analysis equips readers with theoretical and institutional tools to critically assess the broader implications for Lebanon's future.