Extreme weather, harmful chemicals escalating health risks among food workers, finds global report
A global report highlights that food workers face increasing health risks due to extreme weather and exposure to harmful chemicals. It emphasizes that climate change is threatening agricultural yields in India, particularly in Kerala, necessitating urgent adaptation measures.
Why it matters
It draws attention to the intersection of climate change, occupational health, and food security in the agricultural sector.
Extreme weather, harmful chemicals escalating health risks among food workers, Low wages leave food workers vulnerable to increasing climate risks, finds global report left Agriculture is among the world’s most dangerous sectors, accounting for one-third of all occupational deaths globally, the report stated. Image used for representational purposes only K K Mustafah K K Mustafah https://th-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/o7ht2q/article71615369.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/Paddy_6.JPG K K Mustafah KERALA, PALAKKAD, 22/10/2026. Changing Crop Patterns : Workers dry harvested paddy in the sun at a stockyard in Palakkad on Thursday. Climate change poses a serious threat to paddy cultivation in India, particularly in Kerala, where rising temperatures, erratic monsoon rainfall, floods, droughts and increasing pest and disease incidence are affecting crop yields and altering cultivation patterns. India recorded a record rice production of 150.18 million tonnes in 2024–25, according to the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, underscoring the crop’s importance to national food security.
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