Almost Half of the World’s Farmers Are Poisoned by Pesticides Every Year
September 02, 2026 | Source: Pesticides Action Network UK
A new study published in Frontiers in Public Health shows that over 400 million of the world’s farmers and farmworkers suffer from acute pesticide poisoning annually. This total excludes the 84 million children working in global agriculture who are even more vulnerable to toxic chemicals than adults, as well as rural families exposed through spray drift and environmental exposure. Action is urgently needed to remove the most poisonous pesticides from agriculture and to replace them with safer alternatives.
The study found that the greatest number of non-fatal poisoning cases was in southern Asia, followed by Southeast Asia and East Africa. The highest single national incidence was in Burkina Faso, where nearly 84% of farmers and farmworkers experienced unintentional acute pesticide poisonings (UAPP) each year.
Total fatalities around the world from unintended pesticide poisonings are estimated at around 11,000 deaths per year. Nearly 60% of these occurred in just one country, India, indicating serious problems with pesticide use, according to the researchers.