Microplastics in agriculture and food production

The modern agrifood system is caught in a "socio-technical impasse"—a deep-seated dependency on plastics that delivers short-term benefits while generating severe, long-term negative externalities. This versatile, low-cost material has become essential for increasing yields, reducing food waste, and enabling global distribution networks. However, its durability makes it a persistent pollutant. Globally, agriculture uses 12.5 million tonnes of plastic annually, with another 37.3 million tonnes used for food packaging. This dependency has created two primary pathways for microplastic and nanoplastics (MNP) contamination of the food chain. The first is through the environment: agricultural soils that have become a primary reservoir for microplastics, likely containing a greater mass of these contaminants than the world's oceans. This contamination stems from the degradation of on-farm plastics like mulch films and the use of contaminated soil amendments. From the soil, MNPs are taken up by crops and ingested by livestock. The second pathway is direct: particles and chemical additives migrate from food contact materials (FCMs), such as packaging and containers, directly into food, a process accelerated by heat and mechanical stress. This dual contamination route presents a complex challenge for food safety, ecosystem health, and human well-being.