Almost half of world’s farmers poisoned by pesticides every year, experts find

Key Points:

• A study commissioned by Pesticide Action Network estimates that 402-433 million farmers and farm workers worldwide suffer from unintentional acute pesticide poisoning annually, representing about 46% of the global farming population of 934 million.
• Southern Asia has the highest number of poisonings, followed by south-east Asia and east Africa, with Burkina Faso reporting the highest national incidence at nearly 84% of farmers affected.
• The study reports approximately 11,000 deaths per year due to pesticide poisoning, with nearly 60% occurring in India, and calls for urgent action to phase out highly hazardous pesticides as recommended by the UN.
• Despite awareness efforts, global pesticide use has doubled since 1990, reaching 3.8 million tonnes in 2023, and experts emphasize the need for safer alternatives to protect farmers’ health and families.
• The research highlights gaps in data on pesticide poisoning, particularly regarding children in agriculture and long-term health effects, and links pesticide exposure to chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, which is increasingly recognized as an occupational illness among farmers.