A study using publicly available data from 2006 to 2023 estimates that 402‑433 million cases of acute pesticide poisoning occur each year among farmers and farm workers. With a global farming population of roughly 934 million, the analysis suggests that about 46 % of those working in agriculture are poisoned annually.
The highest numbers of poisonings are estimated in Southern Asia, followed by Southeast Asia and East Africa. Burkina Faso records the greatest national incidence, with nearly 84 % of its agricultural workers reporting poisoning. The study also calculates roughly 11,000 pesticide‑related deaths each year, about 60 % of which occur in India. Despite international warnings, pesticide use rose to 3.8 million tonnes in 2023, a volume that has doubled since 1990.
Jayakumar Chelaton, executive director of Pesticide Action Network India, described the findings as a crisis that can no longer be ignored. The authors urge immediate action, including the implementation of a United Nations recommendation to phase out highly hazardous pesticides, and call for support to help farmers adopt safer alternatives.
The report notes that it does not cover the estimated 84 million children working in agriculture nor the long‑term health effects of exposure. Experts such as Genon Jensen of the Health and Environment Alliance and Hélène Nicora of Parkinson’s Europe warn that chronic pesticide exposure is linked to serious conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, citing personal testimonies from affected farmers.
Authors stress that existing data on pesticide poisoning are fragmented and call for standardized surveillance and reporting protocols to make future assessments reliable and comparable.
