Microplastics threaten crop photosynthesis and global food security, study reveals

13 March 2025

As reported by Packaging Insights, research has found that microplastics can damage plants by blocking sunlight from reaching leaves and worsening soil quality. Consequently, microplastics can hinder photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process through which plants convert energy from sunlight into water and CO₂ into oxygen and glucose, which aids growth.

A team of international researchers warned that it can hinder photosynthesis in staple crops and marine algae by up to 14%, impacting global food security and resulting in crop losses. The scientists, led by professor Huan Zhong of Nanjing University in China, analyzed an extensive dataset comprising 3,286 records to quantify the reductions caused by microplastics across various ecosystems. They found that Asia was the worst affected. In Europe, wheat showed a substantial decline, as did maize in the US.

Plastic is overused within the food sector, from production to distribution. According to a 2019 report by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, global agricultural production consumed at least 12.5 million metric tonnes of plastics annually, accounting for over 3.5% of total plastic production worldwide.

These findings emphasise the urgent need for plastic mitigation strategies and provide data for policymakers and researchers to secure global food supplies in the age of plastic pollution.