• Each year, around 2.5 million tons (2,500,000 tons = 5 billion pounds) of pesticide are dumped on the planet's crops. [2]
• In 2002, an estimated 69,000 children were poisoned by pesticides in the US [3]
• The World Health Organization reports 220,000 people die every year worldwide because of pesticide poisoning. Hard to believe, isn't it? [2]
• In 2001, the world pesticide market was valued at $32 billion ($32,000,000,000). Big bucks! [1]
• Although most pesticides (80%) are used in the rich countries, most of the poisonings are in poor countries. This is because safety standards are poor, there may be no protective clothing or washing facilities, insufficient enforcement, poor labeling of pesticides which are used by farm workers who can't read anyway. Few people know much about pesticide hazards. [2]
• Pesticide residues in food are often higher in poor countries. [2]
• Farmers who use pesticides have a 'significantly higher rate of cancer incidence' than non-farmers. [2]
• In the US, nearly one in ten of about 3 billion kilograms (that's 6,613,800,000 pounds) of toxic chemicals released per year is known to be capable of causing cancer (in other animals as well as people). [2]

1. US EPA Pesticide Market Estimates; 2. Public health risks associated with pesticides and natural toxins in foods, David Pimentel et al., College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA; 3. US EPA fact sheet.