Almost Half of World’s Farmers Poisoned by Pesticides Every Year

Pesticides are used on farms around the world to kill insects, weeds, fungi, and other organisms considered harmful to crops. In this new study, however, researchers estimate that between 402 million and 433 million cases of unintentional acute pesticide poisoning occur globally every year. With around 934 million people working in farming, this suggests that almost half of the world’s farmers and agricultural workers are affected annually. Around 11,000 pesticide-related deaths are also estimated to occur each year.

The study examined scientific research published between 2006 and 2023 and supplemented this with mortality information from the World Health Organization. The greatest estimated number of non-fatal poisonings occurred in southern Asia, followed by southeastern Asia and eastern Africa. Acute pesticide poisoning can cause symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathing difficulties, and weakness. Significantly, the researchers point out that such poisonings may also indicate exposures potentially relevant to longer-term health problems.

These extraordinary figures provide further evidence of the enormous human cost associated with chemical-intensive agriculture. Despite decades of assurances regarding the supposed safety of pesticides, hundreds of millions of agricultural workers are apparently being poisoned by them every year. With scientific research increasingly linking pesticide exposure to chronic illnesses including cancer, Parkinson’s disease, motor neuron disease, and other serious disorders, reducing global dependence on these toxic chemicals should be seen as an urgent public-health priority.

To learn how dietary-related pesticide levels in the body are significantly reduced just six days after starting an organic diet, see this article on our website.