Brazil is the second largest tobacco producer in the world, coming only after China. The tobacco-growing regions are concentrated in South Brazil, where the highlight is the State of Rio Grande do Sul, responsible for almost half of the total volume, followed by Santa Catarina and Paraná. Nowadays, tobacco is an integral part of the economy of 509 municipalities in the South Region of Brazil and involves approximately 620 thousand people at field level, attracted by the profits derived from the cultivation of tobacco in small areas, along with guaranteed sales of the volume produced. In the past growing season, the 133 thousand tobacco farmers derived R$ 11.8 billion from the crop.

The survey conducted by the CEPA/UFRGS in 2023, ascertained that a tobacco farmer earns 140% more than the average income of the Brazilian workers. The good socioeconomic status of the tobacco farmers is all the more evident in social stratification: while 80% of them fit into classes A and B, the general average in Brazil in this social stratum remains below 25%.