Pesticides are meant to protect crops from insects, weeds and diseases. But for hundreds of millions of people working on farms, the chemicals used to protect food may also be putting their health at risk.
A new study published in Frontiers in Public Health estimates that between 402 million and 433 million farmers and farm workers experience unintentional acute pesticide poisoning every year. Based on an estimated global farming population of about 934 million, that works out to around 46% of farmers.
The study also estimates that pesticide poisoning causes around 11,000 deaths annually. Nearly 60% of those estimated deaths occur in India.
But there is an important detail behind the headline. The research is looking at unintentional acute pesticide poisoning, meaning health problems that occur shortly after exposure. It is not saying that nearly half of the world’s farmers have developed long-term diseases because of pesticides.
So, how big is the problem, and why does India feature so heavily in the numbers?
What is acute pesticide poisoning?
Acute pesticide poisoning happens when someone is exposed to a pesticide and develops health effects soon afterwards.
Farm workers can come into contact with pesticides while mixing or spraying them. Exposure can also happen through contaminated equipment, clothing, crops or surfaces.
Symptoms can vary depending on the chemical and level of exposure. They may include headaches, dizziness, nausea, skin or eye irritation, breathing problems and weakness.
The new study looked specifically at these short-term effects rather than attempting to measure every disease that might be associated with long-term pesticide exposure.
How many farmers are affected by pesticide poisoning?
The researchers reviewed available data covering 139 countries, using studies published between 2006 and 2023 alongside mortality data from the World Health Organization.
Their estimate puts annual unintentional acute pesticide poisoning among farmers and farm workers at between 402 million and 433 million cases worldwide.
Southern Asia had the largest estimated number of non-fatal cases, followed by Southeast Asia and East Africa.
Burkina Faso had the highest estimated national incidence, with nearly 84% of farmers and farm workers reportedly experiencing poisoning.
The numbers show how heavily the burden falls on agricultural workers in parts of the developing world, where pesticide use can be widespread and access to healthcare and protective equipment may be limited.
Why is India seeing such a high number of cases?
India stands out in the study’s estimates.
The researchers estimated about 169 million non-fatal acute pesticide poisoning cases in India each year. This figure was derived from an estimated poisoning prevalence of around 73% based on 11 publications and a reference farming population of approximately 230 million.
India also accounted for nearly 60% of the estimated 11,000 annual deaths from pesticide poisoning.
These figures should be treated as estimates rather than a count of confirmed cases. The researchers had to combine available studies and extrapolate their findings because reliable nationwide data on pesticide poisoning are limited.
That lack of data is itself part of the problem.
Why are pesticide poisoning cases difficult to track?
Not every farmer who becomes sick after pesticide exposure reaches a hospital.
Some symptoms may be treated at home. Others may never be recognised as pesticide poisoning. In rural areas, limited access to healthcare can make reporting even more difficult.
The researchers therefore say existing surveillance does not provide a complete picture of the problem.
Their study also relied on different types of data from different countries. Some estimates came from surveys, while others came from poison centres, registers or mortality databases.
This means the global figure should not be read as a precise headcount.
The researchers themselves acknowledge that extrapolating from available studies can introduce uncertainty and may overestimate cases in some settings. Their sensitivity analysis produced estimates ranging from about 402 million to 433 million annual cases.
Pesticide use has doubled since 1990
The health concerns come at a time when pesticide use worldwide continues to rise.
The study notes that around 3.8 million tonnes of pesticides were used globally in 2023, roughly twice the amount recorded in 1990.
This creates a difficult question for agriculture.
Farmers need ways to protect crops and maintain yields. At the same time, greater pesticide use can increase the opportunities for harmful exposure, particularly when highly hazardous products are used without adequate protection.
The researchers argue that reducing reliance on highly hazardous pesticides should therefore be part of the solution.
What can be done to reduce pesticide poisoning?
The researchers point to a recommendation from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to phase out highly hazardous pesticides.
Better training, safer alternatives, stronger regulation and improved protective measures can also reduce exposure.
But simply telling farmers to wear protective equipment is not enough if that equipment is unavailable, unaffordable or unsuitable for working in hot conditions.
Reducing the use of the most hazardous pesticides and giving farmers practical alternatives could have a much larger impact.
What the study does not tell us
The headline number is striking, but there are several things the study did not measure.
It did not assess the long-term health effects of pesticide exposure. That means the research cannot tell us how many farmers may develop chronic diseases after years of exposure.
The researchers also did not assess pesticide exposure among an estimated 84 million children working in agriculture.
This leaves a significant gap in our understanding of the wider health burden.
The study also cannot establish that every reported illness was caused by a particular pesticide. Its estimates are based on available research and statistical extrapolation.
Still, the researchers argue that the evidence is strong enough to show that acute pesticide poisoning remains a major global public health problem.
And perhaps the most uncomfortable part of the finding is that the people producing the world’s food may be among those carrying the greatest health cost of producing it.
FAQs
1. How many farmers are affected by pesticide poisoning every year?
A 2026 study estimates that 402 million to 433 million farmers and farm workers experience unintentional acute pesticide poisoning every year, equivalent to about 46% of the global farming population.
2. How many people die from pesticide poisoning each year?
The study estimates around 11,000 deaths from unintentional acute pesticide poisoning every year. Nearly 60% of these estimated fatalities occur in India.
3. Why is pesticide poisoning common among farmers?
Farmers can be exposed while mixing, spraying or storing pesticides and through contaminated clothing, equipment and crops. Inadequate protection and limited safety training can increase exposure risks.
4. Does pesticide poisoning cause long-term health problems?
This study did not examine long-term health effects. It focused on unintentional acute pesticide poisoning, which refers to health effects occurring shortly after pesticide exposure.
5. Which region has the most pesticide poisoning cases?
The study estimates that Southern Asia has the largest number of non-fatal acute pesticide poisoning cases, followed by Southeast Asia and East Africa.
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