Surfactants are a broad category of tensio-active biomolecules with multifunctional properties applications in diverse industrial sectors and processes. Surfactants are produced synthetically and biologically. The biologically derived surfactants (biosurfactants) are produced from microorganisms, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis Candida albicans, and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus as dominant species. Rhamnolipids, sophorolipids, mannosylerithritol lipids, surfactin, and emulsan are well known in terms of their biotechnological applications. Biosurfactants can compete with synthetic surfactants in terms of performance, with established advantages over synthetic ones, including eco-friendliness, biodegradability, low toxicity, and stability over a wide variability of environmental factors. However, at present, synthetic surfactants are a preferred option in different industrial applications because of their availability in commercial quantities, unlike biosurfactants. The usage of synthetic surfactants introduces new species of recalcitrant pollutants into the environment and leads to undesired results when a wrong selection of surfactants is made. Substituting synthetic surfactants with biosurfactants resolves these drawbacks, thus interest has been intensified in biosurfactant applications in a wide range of industries hitherto considered as experimental fields. This review, therefore, intends to offer an overview of diverse applications in which biosurfactants have been found to be useful, with emphases on petroleum biotechnology, environmental remediation, and the agriculture sector. The application of biosurfactants in these settings would lead to industrial growth and environmental sustainability.

Biopesticides in Sustainable Agriculture: A Critical Sustainable Development Driver Governed by Green Chemistry Principles

Chemotherapy has advanced modern agriculture with costly side effects such as the extinction of beneficial species, resistant pest resurgence, environmental pollution, tainted food consumption, and health implications. Attention is now focused on biopesticides as a solution to the abovementioned disadvantages. Additionally, there is a growing need to understand the range and relative effectiveness of biopesticides in controlling pests and promoting sustainable agriculture. The latter is the major driver of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In comparison to synthetic pesticides, biopesticides offer nearly similar protection against the most notorious pests, except Albugo candida (oomycetes), Ustilago maydis (fungi), Phytomonas spp. (protozoa), Nacobbus aberrans (nematode), and Cyperus rotundus (weed). This study shows that viruses are more vulnerable to essential oils, nematodes and weeds to natural enemies, herbivorous insects to biochemical insecticides, and plant pathogens to plant-incorporated protectants and microbial pesticides. This work also demonstrates that it is preferable to use plant-derived biopesticides in a field concurrently. Incorporating these findings into large-scale farming via the integrated pest management method would improve the outcome of sustainable agriculture (SA), which connects 11 of the 17 SDGs. Despite their proven efficacy and sustainable attributes, biopesticides have some deficiencies, such as slow action and a short shelf life span, which can be improved by omics, RNA interference, and nano-based technologies. This field of technologies provides relevant prospects for improving existing biopesticides and discovering and developing new bio-controlling agents (BCA).

Biopesticides have emerged as a central focus in contemporary policy and scientific discourse due to their strong alignment with green chemistry, One Health initiatives, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and sustainable agriculture. Beyond their established role in integrated pest management (IPM), they serve as a pivotal driver in building resilient agricultural systems. However, their wider adoption is constrained by technical limitations and the high costs associated with refined formulations. This review aims to identify types and strategies of biopesticides that are both cost-effective and suitable for sustainable agriculture. Drawing on multiple case studies across diverse agroecological zones, the analysis reveals that cost-effective biopesticides are critical for advancing IPM in traditional and smallholder farming systems, while branded formulations predominantly benefit large-scale farms with greater economic capacity. Emphasis is placed on the utilization of readily accessible biopesticides, including pesticidal plants, natural enemies, entomopathogenic nematodes, and botanical extracts and seed/seedling treatments, which collectively mitigate pest pressure, reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, and enhance crop yields within a structured progression described as the IPY trend. This trend underscores the interlinked dynamics of infestation levels, pesticide consumption, and crop productivity under cost-effective, biopesticide-driven IPM. Within this low-tech and high-tech classification framework, persistent controversies and the misconception that developing nations, long reliant on traditional agricultural technologies, lack awareness of biopesticides can be systematically examined and addressed, thereby facilitating informed policy decisions and optimized implementation strategies.