CORESTA Marks 70th Anniversary With Victoria Falls Congress on Science and Harm Reduction
CORESTA, the Cooperation Centre for Scientific Research Relative to Tobacco, opened its 70th congress in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, on Oct. 25, bringing together more than 330 delegates from 30 countries at the Elephant Hills Resort.
The congress runs under the theme "Science for Sustainability and Harm Reduction in the Transforming Tobacco Landscape," covering agricultural research, product characterization, toxicology, exposure science, biomarkers and analytical methodologies, with sessions also addressing harm-reduction science including nicotine pouch evaluation and heated tobacco product assessment.
CORESTA President Helena Digard called for greater international research collaboration, transparency and adoption of emerging technologies. She said the congress provides a platform for scientists from different countries and disciplines to exchange ideas, interrogate established practices and explore new research opportunities, with the value extending beyond formal presentations to the discussions and professional relationships that help shape future research priorities.
The gathering marks CORESTA's 70th anniversary, seven decades of scientific exchange among researchers working in tobacco and related fields. It is also the first time Zimbabwe has hosted a CORESTA congress in 63 years, according to Kutsaga Research Board Chairperson Aaron Denenga, whose organization — the Tobacco Research Board's research arm — extended the invitation that brought the event to the country.
Zimbabwean Agriculture Minister Dr Anxious Masuka addressed the opening session on science-led agriculture for rural transformation, and the scientific programme runs sessions on agronomy, plant breeding, leaf chemistry, soil health, product testing and sustainability across its Oct. 25-29 schedule.
For the global nicotine industry, the congress arrives as regulatory science around alternative products — from nicotine pouch exposure assessment to heated tobacco evaluation methodologies — is increasingly the evidentiary battleground for rulemaking in markets from Brussels to Washington.
[Reference]
- Tobacco Reporter (original report) — https://tobaccoreporter.com/2026/10/27/coresta-holds-70th-congress-in-zimbabwe/
- CORESTA Congress 2026 (official) — https://www.coresta.org/events/coresta-congress-2026-40214.html
- The Herald (Zimbabwe) coverage — https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/global-tobacco-scientists-converge-in-victoria-falls-for-historic-70th-coresta-congress-on-innovation-and-harm-reduction/