A study commissioned by Pesticide Action Network has found that almost half of the world's farmers and farm workers are unintentionally poisoned by pesticides every year, describing a global health crisis that has largely gone unaddressed. Researchers are calling for immediate action, including implementation of a UN recommendation to phase out highly hazardous pesticides, warning that global pesticide use continues to rise despite decades of awareness of its dangers.

Drawing on data from 2006-2023, the study estimated 402-433 million cases of acute pesticide poisoning annually among a global farming population of 934 million, equating to roughly 46%. Southern Asia recorded the highest number of poisonings, while Burkina Faso had the highest national rate, at nearly 84%. The research also linked pesticides to around 11,000 deaths a year, almost 60% of them in India, and noted growing evidence connecting pesticide exposure to Parkinson's disease, though it did not assess long-term health effects or risks to the estimated 84 million children working in agriculture.