Almost half of world's farmers poisoned by pesticides every year, experts find
Study reveals that pesticide poisoning kills 11,000 people each year, with India accounting for nearly 60% of fatalities
TL;DR
- An estimated 402-433 million farmers and farm workers worldwide suffer unintentional acute pesticide poisoning annually.
- This means approximately 46% of the global farming population is poisoned each year.
- Southern Asia, south-east Asia, and east Africa have the greatest estimated number of poisonings.
- Burkina Faso in west Africa reported the highest national incidence of poisoning, with nearly 84% of farmers affected.
- An estimated 11,000 deaths occur annually due to pesticide poisoning, with nearly 60% in India.
- Pesticide use has continued to grow, reaching 3.8 million tonnes in 2023, double the amount used in 1990.
- There is growing evidence linking pesticide exposure to the development of Parkinson's disease.
- The study calls for immediate action, including phasing out highly hazardous pesticides and implementing standardized surveillance and reporting protocols.