Disease and insect infestation are most serious in tropical and sub-tropical areas, and most countries in these regions were developing nations. Their people's inadequate intake of vegetables and the resulting lack of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) had a severe impact on health.
蔬菜病蟲害肆虐最嚴重的便是亞熱帶和熱帶地區，而這些國家多為開發中國家，人民的蔬菜攝取量不夠，人體缺乏微量元素，影響國民健康至鉅。