Nanotechnology as an Emerging Innovation: Sources, Application in a Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Analysis

The growing world population and the increasing burden on the agricultural sector to meet the associated increased food demand are major concerns of the modern world. In addition to increasing the quantity of food, the focus is also on improving food quality in terms of its nutritional content. Sustainable agricultural approaches to maximize the use of limited land and water resources while reducing harmful chemicals have been studied extensively over the past decade. The advent of nanotechnology has provided a new direction in which nanoparticles with small sizes and unique properties are being used to improve crop production by enhancing crop quality, growth, and productivity, used as biofertilizers, and for biological pest control while maintaining soil health. Nanoparticles are now also being used in precision agriculture and food packaging. However, the ethical concerns associated with their use, given that humans are the primary consumers, as well as their toxicity to certain life forms, require proper evaluation of their application. Therefore, this review provides insight into the types and sources of nanoparticles, as well as the current status of approaches to their synthesis, environmental impact, and risk assessment of their use in the agriculture and food sectors.