How nanotechnologies can enhance sustainability in the agrifood sector

Nanotechnologies provide a toolbox full of new and highly precise tools that can be used in a wide range of application fields. Since biological systems are primarily made up of nanostructured materials and the processes in biology largely depend on functionality arising at the nano level, it is not surprising that there are many opportunities for these new tools in the different fields that directly rely on biological processes. The agrifood sector is one of these application fields for nanotechnologies (Joseph and Morrison 2006; Kuzma and Verhage 2006; Chaudhry et al. 2010; Frewer et al. 2011). However, as with all new technologies, there are also critical notes (ETC Group 2004; Friends of the Earth 2008) pointing out that there are also risks associated with these applications, and these will be discussed in Section 4.6. Most people agree that opportunities are enormous and the potential for benefits to consumers, society, and the environment is large. Here, the potential for improving the sustainability of the agrifood sector is explored.