World news | The Guardian
· collected 2026-09-03 · by Pippa Neill Environment reporter
A study commissioned by the Pesticide Action Network found that approximately 46% of the world's farmers, around 402-433 million people, are poisoned by pesticides every year. The highest estimated number of poisonings was in southern Asia, with Burkina Faso having the highest national incidence at nearly 84%. The study also estimates that 11,000 deaths occur annually due to pesticide poisoning, with 60% of these happening in India. Experts are calling for "immediate action" to phase out highly hazardous pesticides and provide farmers with safer alternatives.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-03,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Almost half of the world's farmers, approximately 46%, or between 402-433 million people, are poisoned by pesticides every year, according to a new study. The highest national incidence of poisoning was in Burkina Faso, where nearly 84% of farmers and farm workers were reported to have experienced poisoning. The research found that an estimated 11,000 deaths occur annually due to pesticide poisoning, with nearly 60% of these deaths happening in India. The study's authors are calling for "immediate action" to address this issue, including implementing safer alternatives and providing support to farmers. The study did not consider the impact on children working in agriculture or long-term health effects. Pesticide Action Network is urging governments to take action to protect farmer health and families, citing the scale of suffering revealed by the research as a "crisis that can no longer be ignored".
Written for “Global Pesticide Poisoning Crisis” on 2026-09-03,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but none of the 1 quote(s) it offered could be found in the article text, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 3541: no verified evidence · logged 2026-09-03
Almost half of the world’s farmers are poisoned by pesticides every single year, a study has found.
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study → poison → pesticides
Using publicly available data from 2006-2023, the study, which was commissioned by Pesticide Action Network, found there to be an estimated 402-433m cases of unintentional acute pesticide poisoning of farmers and farm workers every year.
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which → use → farmers
Based on a worldwide farming population of 934 million, this means approximately 46% of farmers are being poisoned every year.
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% → base → farmers
The greatest estimated number of poisonings was in southern Asia, followed by south-east Asia and east Africa.
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number → estimate → Asia
The overall highest national incidence of poisoning was in Burkina Faso in west Africa, where nearly 84% of farmers and farm workers were reported to have experienced poisoning.
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% → report → poisoning
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health on Wednesday, also found that an estimated 11,000 deaths occur every year due to pesticide poisoning, with nearly 60% of these in India.
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deaths → publish → India
Jayakumar Chelaton, the executive director of Pesticide Action Network India, said the research exposed a “crisis that can no longer be ignored”.
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that → say → crisis
The authors of the study are calling for “immediate action”, including the implementation of a UN recommendation to phase out highly hazardous pesticides.
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authors → call → pesticides
The study states that despite global efforts to highlight the dangers, pesticide use has continued to grow steadily, with 3.8m tonnes used in 2023, a doubling since 1990.
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tonnes → state → 1990
Dr Sheila Willis, the head of international programmes at Pesticide Action Network UK, said: “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.”
The study did not consider the impact of pesticide exposure on the estimated 84 million children working in agriculture and did not look at the long-term health impacts, with acute pesticide poisoning defined in the study as any illness or health effect experienced a short time after exposure.
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poisoning → say → exposure
Génon Jensen, the executive director of the Health and Environment Alliance, said: “We are extremely concerned about the devastating health impacts from pesticide poisonings – both the acute impacts mentioned in this study but also chronic exposures that farm workers and communities suffer.”
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workers → say → that
Hélène Nicora, the director general of Parkinson’s Europe, said there was also “overwhelming evidence” to suggest that Parkinson’s was an environmentally driven disease, with growing evidence linking pesticide exposure to the development of Parkinson’s.
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Parkinson → say → Parkinson
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder in which parts of the brain become damaged over time, affecting movement and balance.
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parts → damage → movement
The global burden of the disease is rising, with France, Germany and Italy all recognising it as an occupational disease for farmers.
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France → rise → farmers
Farmers and farm workers are mainly exposed to pesticides during preparation and application, as well as when touching treated crops and contaminated equipment or clothing.
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Farmers → expose → crops
Speaking at a webinar organised by Friends of the Earth Europe earlier this year, Rendert Algra said he believed his Parkinson’s disease was linked to the pesticides he had used when working at his family farm in the Netherlands.
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he → speak → Netherlands
“Being the eldest son, I did all the spraying of pesticides in our fields for several years in a row,” he said.
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he → do → row
Despite being the most robust study to date, the report highlights that available information on pesticide poisoning is inadequate, with the authors calling for standardised surveillance and reporting protocols so that pesticide-related poisonings become reliable and comparable.
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poisonings → highlight → surveillance
