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A synthesis of developments, challenges and prospective innovations in plastic waste management in agriculture and aquaculture systems
Summary
Farms and fish operations use huge amounts of plastic (like mulch films), and it's breaking down into tiny microplastic particles in soil at levels that could jump five-fold by 2050 — meaning more of these particles could end up in the food we grow and eat. This review pulls together existing research on where this plastic comes from, how it spreads through our food systems, and what new tools (including AI) could help track and reduce it. The takeaway: plastic pollution in our food supply is a growing problem that current farming and waste practices aren't keeping up with.
Plastic waste management in agriculture and aquaculture is increasingly recognized as an urgent environmental issue, given the rising plastic pollution that affects ecosystems and human health. Recent assessments reveal heavy plastic use in food systems: over 25 million acres of farmland covered by plastic mulch annually, with 6.7 million tonnes used. Microplastics in soils averaged 2176 items kg⁻ 1 in 2020, potentially exceeding 10,000 items kg⁻ 1 by 2050 under high-scenario projections. Despite this fact, the pervasive issue of plastic waste remains inadequately addressed in many regions. Current practices often lead to significant accumulation of plastic in soils and waterways, resulting in plastic contamination that adversely affects crop yields and aquatic life. Notwithstanding growing awareness of these challenges, gaps persist in understanding the specific interactions between plastic waste and environmental factors across geographic and socioeconomic contexts, indicating a need for more integrated research. Furthermore, existing literature often lacks comprehensive assessments that capture the multifaceted impacts of plastic waste, particularly concerning microplastic ingress and its long-term consequences on soil health and organism behavior. This review, therefore, synthesizes the sources, transport pathways, and impacts of plastic waste across both terrestrial and aquatic food systems. It also identifies innovative practices and existing research gaps. This review also highlights the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in remote sensing for monitoring, predictive modeling, and tracking in plastic waste contamination. By illuminating these areas, this review seeks to provide a more integrated approach to plastic waste management and to align it with sustainable agricultural and aquaculture practices across food production systems.