Nearly half of global farmers suffer annual pesticide poisoning, study finds
A new study estimates that about 46% of the world’s 934 million farmers are acutely poisoned by pesticides each year, with roughly 11,000 deaths, most in India.
Researchers examined publicly available records from 2006 to 2023 at the behest of Pesticide Action Network and published their findings in Frontiers in Public Health. They estimate 402-433 million incidents of acute pesticide poisoning among the 934 million global farming population, meaning roughly 46 % of farmers are affected each year. The highest regional totals occur in southern Asia, followed by south-east Asia and east Africa, with Burkina Faso reporting the highest national rate at almost 84 %.
The study attributes about 11,000 deaths annually to pesticide exposure, with nearly 60 % of those in India. Executives from Pesticide Action Network India and the UK urged urgent action, including the UN recommendation to eliminate highly hazardous pesticides, while health experts highlighted concerns over chronic effects and links to Parkinson’s disease. The authors stress the need for standardized surveillance to make poisoning data comparable worldwide.
Why it matters
It reveals a widespread health crisis that endangers nearly half of the world’s agricultural workforce.
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