This article suggests that while experts have been heralding how nanotechnology will revolutionize the food processing and packaging industries, the most promising breakthroughs will occur much earlier in the food production chain – on the farm. Crop protection companies have begun manufacturing pesticide and herbicide products containing nanoparticles of active ingredients, as the extra surface area created by the reduction in particle size boosts potency, accelerates uptake by the plant, increases solubility in the spray tank and can reduce or even eliminate the risk of settling and separation. Nanotechnology is also powering breakthrough products such as herbicide sensors that can dramatically reduce the amount of product used and toxicity of herbicide and pesticide treatments. Nanosensors that monitor soil moisture, temperature, pH, nitrogen availability and measure crop growth can also help farmers make better growing decisions and respond more rapidly to potential problems. While there is great promise in the field of agrochemicals and nanotechnology, like all things, these new approaches need to be carefully introduced only after thorough evaluation of the benefits and risks. Questions remain, says the author, about long-term safety of nanotechnology, but “…if — like research suggests — nanoherbicides can decrease or eliminate the effect of excess toxins on the environment, and allow growers around the world to increase their yields at lower costs so that third-world countries can someday feed their citizens — well, then that truly is magical.”