Air pollution is one of the major environmental stresses of the modern era whose impacts extend beyond human health and also affect the sustainability of agricultural production and food security. Pollutants such as ozone (O₃), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) can increase plant susceptibility to pests and pathogens by inducing oxidative stress, disrupting photosynthesis, reducing nutrient uptake, and weakening plant defense mechanisms. In addition, air pollution can disrupt the ecological balance of agroecosystems by degrading or altering plant volatile organic compounds, thereby interfering with the activity of pollinators and natural enemies of pests.



Evidence from field studies in different countries indicates that severe air pollution is associated with reduced crop yields, increased pest pressure, and the intensification of certain plant diseases. For example, a field study reported that exposure of plants to pollutants from diesel exhaust and ozone reduced pollinator abundance by about 62–70% and flower visitation by approximately 83–90%, leading to a decline in plant reproductive success. Pollutants may also reduce the capacity of plants to cope with biotic stresses by decreasing soil biological activity and disrupting nutrient cycling.



This article adopts a scientific–extension perspective to examine the direct and indirect pathways through which air pollution affects plants, pests, plant diseases, pollinators, natural enemies, and soil health, and highlights that air quality is an important yet often overlooked component of food security.