What happened
A study commissioned by Pesticide Action Network estimates that accidental acute pesticide poisoning causes between 402 million and 433 million cases each year among farmers and agricultural workers. Drawing on publicly available information from 2006 to 2023, the analysis uses a global farming population of 934 million and calculates that about 46% may be affected in a year.
The research was published in Frontiers in Public Health. It identifies South Asia as the region with the greatest estimated number of cases, with South-East Asia and East Africa following. It also puts annual deaths associated with pesticide poisoning at roughly 11,000, of which India accounts for an estimated 60%.
For farm operators, supply-chain teams and policymakers, the immediate task is to treat pesticide exposure as a worker-health issue alongside decisions about production and yield. The findings support closer attention to handling practices, protective measures, training and access to health services.
Why it matters
The study describes exposure routes that extend beyond application itself. Farmers and agricultural workers may encounter pesticides during preparation and spraying, as well as through treated crops, contaminated equipment and contaminated clothing.
Its findings point to shortcomings in access to protective equipment, training, oversight and healthcare, particularly in South Asia, South-East Asia and some African regions. These gaps are relevant to agricultural businesses seeking to improve conditions across farm operations and to public authorities responsible for occupational and public-health policy.
The analysis also places the issue in the context of rising pesticide use. It reports that global use doubled from 1990, reaching 3.8 million tonnes in 2023, despite international efforts to address pesticide hazards.
Scope and next steps
The estimate concerns acute effects: illness or other health impacts that arise soon after exposure. It does not assess longer-term health outcomes. Nor does it examine pesticide exposure among an estimated 84 million children working in agriculture.
The authors call for urgent action, including implementation of a United Nations recommendation to progressively phase out highly hazardous pesticides. They also identify safer alternatives, stronger safeguards for farmers and farm workers, and global data-collection systems as necessary areas for action.
