The impact of malaria on agricultural
productivity has a long history. In the first
half of the 20th century it was the leading
public health problem in Italy, much
as in many developing countries today.
Absences resulting from illness and death
were common during the agricultural season,
leaving millions of hectares of Italy’s
most fertile land fallow In the developing
world malaria continues to have serious
negative impacts on productivity. One
study of farmers engaged in intensive vegetable
production in Côte d’Ivoire showed
that malaria sufferers produced about half
the yields and half the incomes that healthy
farmers did