World's Farmers Are Enduring a Concerning 'Scale of Suffering'

Nearly half the people who grow the world's food are getting sick from the chemicals used to protect it, according to new research flagged by the Guardian. A study published in Frontiers in Public Health estimates there are 402 million to 433 million cases of unintentional acute pesticide poisoning among farmers and farm workers every year—about 46% of the global farming population. The highest burden falls on southern Asia, followed by Southeast Asia and East Africa. In West Africa's Burkina Faso, nearly 84% of farmers were reported to have been poisoned. The researchers also estimate 11,000 deaths annually, with the majority taking place in India.

"Systemic failures in data collection have masked this global public health crisis," says Dr. Sheila Willis of the Pesticide Action Network, which commissioned the research, reports People. The study tracks pesticide use rising to 4.2 million tons in 2023—double the 1990 level—despite years of warnings, per the Guardian. Experts link pesticide exposure to broader health risks, including Parkinson's disease, and urge a rapid phaseout of highly hazardous chemicals, plus better global tracking of poisonings. "Now that the scale of suffering has been revealed, farmers must be supported to access safer alternatives to protect their health and that of their families," says Willis, per People.