Study Finds Nearly Half of World’s Farmers Are Poisoned by Pesticides Each Year

The study used publicly available data from 2006 to 2023 and estimated 402 million to 433 million cases of unintentional acute pesticide poisoning among farmers and farm workers each year. Based on a global farming population of 934 million, that equates to roughly 46 percent of farmers affected annually. The largest number of poisonings was estimated in southern Asia, followed by south-east Asia and east Africa. Burkina Faso had the highest national incidence, with nearly 84 percent of its farmers and farm workers reporting poisoning.

The research also estimated that about 11,000 deaths from pesticide poisoning occur each year, nearly 60 percent of them in India. Jayakumar Chelaton, executive director of Pesticide Action Network India, said the findings exposed a “crisis that can no longer be ignored.”

The authors called for immediate action, including implementation of a UN recommendation to phase out highly hazardous pesticides. Pesticide use has continued to grow, reaching 3.8 million tonnes in 2023, roughly double the 1990 level. Sheila Willis, head of international programmes at Pesticide Action Network UK, said farmers must be supported to access safer alternatives to protect their health and that of their families.

The analysis did not cover the estimated 84 million children working in agriculture, nor did it examine long-term health effects. Acute pesticide poisoning was defined as any illness or health effect experienced shortly after exposure. Advocacy groups said the full burden is broader. Génon Jensen, executive director of the Health and Environment Alliance, said she was “extremely concerned” about acute and chronic exposures. Hélène Nicora, director general of Parkinson’s Europe, said there was “overwhelming evidence” linking pesticide exposure to Parkinson’s disease, which France, Germany and Italy recognise as an occupational disease for farmers.

Farmers are mainly exposed to pesticides while preparing or applying them and when touching treated crops or contaminated equipment and clothing, the study said. It added that available information on pesticide poisoning is inadequate and called for standardised surveillance and reporting so data become reliable and comparable.