Key facts
- An estimated 402-433 million farmers worldwide suffer unintentional acute pesticide poisoning annually.
- This represents approximately 46% of the global farming population.
- The study identified southern Asia, southeast Asia, and east Africa as regions with the highest estimated poisonings.
- Burkina Faso recorded the highest national incidence, with nearly 84% of farmers affected.
- An estimated 11,000 deaths per year are attributed to pesticide poisoning, with a majority in India.
- Pesticide use has doubled since 1990, reaching 3.8 million tonnes in 2023.
A comprehensive study utilizing data from 2006 to 2023 has revealed that nearly half of the world's farmers, an estimated 402 to 433 million individuals, suffer from unintentional acute pesticide poisoning each year. This figure represents approximately 46% of the global farming population of 934 million.
The research, commissioned by Pesticide Action Network and published in Frontiers in Public Health, indicated that southern Asia, followed by southeast Asia and east Africa, bore the brunt of these poisonings. Burkina Faso in West Africa reported the highest national incidence, with nearly 84% of its farming population affected.
Beyond the acute illnesses, the study estimates that around 11,000 deaths occur annually due to pesticide poisoning, with nearly 60% of these fatalities occurring in India. Experts involved in the study and related organizations have labeled this a "crisis that can no longer be ignored" and are urging for "immediate action."
Key recommendations include the implementation of a UN directive to phase out highly hazardous pesticides. Despite global awareness efforts, pesticide usage has seen a steady increase, doubling since 1990 to reach 3.8 million tonnes in 2023. Health advocates are calling for support for farmers to access safer alternatives.
The study's scope was limited to acute poisoning and did not examine the long-term health impacts or the effects on the estimated 84 million children working in agriculture. However, concerns were raised about chronic exposures and the growing body of evidence linking pesticide exposure to conditions like Parkinson's disease, which is increasingly recognized as an occupational illness for farmers in several European countries.
Farmers and farm workers are primarily exposed during pesticide preparation and application, as well as through contact with treated crops and contaminated equipment or clothing. The report also highlighted the inadequacy of current data on pesticide poisoning, advocating for standardized surveillance and reporting protocols to improve reliability and comparability.