Farmers and Pesticides

One of the statements that really stood out to me in our reading was how farmworkers are particularly vulnerable to pesticide poisoning and, ironically, often lack steady access to healthy food. Having worked on a peach farm before, I was aware of the chemical use there however none of the farmers used any PPE, in field or not. Even having been on a farm, I was detached from health hazards. Farmers feed our nation, facing health hazards daily, and yet there is a gap in protection for them. One of the most pervasive risks isn’t from heavy machinery or heat alone: it comes from pesticides, the chemicals are sprayed to protect crops but not only do they harm pests, they can also harm the people. I wish to emphasize how easy it is for this occupation to harm someone. Below are two articles I found regarding farmers and health risks.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11056488/#abstract1

https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/agricultural-health-and-safety

The World Health Organization estimates that up to 1 million people are affected annually by pesticide poisoning worldwide, and acute and chronic exposure can cause a range of health issues in agricultural workers. Research shows that pesticides can enter the body in multiple ways: through the skin; inhalation; even through ingestion when workers eat or drink without washing off residues. In the short term, exposure can lead to symptoms like headaches, dizziness, nausea, skin irritation, respiratory difficulties, and visual disturbances. Longer-term and repeated exposure is even more concerning. Pesticides have been linked to carcinogenesis (increased cancer risk), neurotoxicity (nervous system damage), reproductive problems, and weakened immune function; effects that may not appear until many years after exposure. Some neurological effects and cancers can take a decade or more to surface, making prevention and long-term monitoring vital.

Farmworkers who mix, load, or apply pesticides often without adequate protective gear face the highest risks. Even workers re-entering recently sprayed fields can absorb residues through their skin or breathe in pesticide drift from adjacent fields. Children and family members living with farmworkers may also be exposed indirectly through contaminated clothing or household dust. Across rural agricultural settings, workers are exposed not just to one but often multiple chemicals, sometimes without proper training or safety equipment. Widespread pesticide use (including chemicals like glyphosate, which research has connected with cellular toxicity and potential long-term disease risks) underscores just how hazardous these exposures can be.

Pesticides are just part of a larger pattern of health risks in farm work. Agricultural workers also face hazards from dust, fuel and fertilizers, extreme heat, and physically demanding labor which can interact with chemical exposures to worsen health outcomes.

Addressing pesticide risks requires better enforcement of safety standards like the EPA’s Worker Protection Standard, broader access to effective personal protective equipment (PPE), and much stronger training and education for workers about chemical risks. Researchers and rural health advocates also call for improved occupational health services and more community health resources in agricultural regions. Farmworkers deserve the same protections we expect in any workplace, especially when it comes to chemicals that can affect their health today and decades into the future.