Bruce Munthali, chief exeutive of the Tobacco Control Commission of Malawi, said the practice is not only confined to tobacco growing.

"Child labor occurs in other commodities, mining, other commodities you can think of," he said. "As an industry we have taken some corrective measures to address some of the concerns relating to child labor."

Msambira, who employs about 50 people, said he never uses children in his fields but relies on workers from nearby villages and Zimbabwe. He said he knows that tobacco offers him and his country an uncertain future, but for now he sees no alternative and doesn't believe the WHO is offering one.

"This is a good business," he said. "No tobacco, no life in Malawi."