Abstract <p>Environmental issues have hastened the pursuit of sustainable fertilization methods as world agriculture confronts increasing difficulties. In the last 40&#xa0;years, widespread use of fertilizers has fourfold increased cereal production but raised havoc in terms of nutrient leaching, contamination of groundwater, and soil degradation. Slow-release fertilizer (SRF) presents an effective solution by controlling the delivery of nutrients and enhancing uptake efficiency. This review highlights the novel application of metal–organic frameworks (MOF) in SRF design, filling the most critical knowledge gap of their unexplored use in sustainable fertilizer development. The properties of MOF, high surface area, tunable porosity, and multi-nutrient encapsulation potential allow for the controlled time-release of the nutrients according to plant requirements, due to their ability to minimize losses, improve absorption efficiency, and provide a regulated nutrient delivery, MOF based SRF have become a viable solution to these problems. Compatibility with diverse soil and application in conventional as well as precision agriculture is discussed. Some of the emerging trends are multifunctional and biodegradable MOF-based fertilizers that promote nutrient efficiency and soil health. This review is intended to inform next-generation fertilizer development with increased productivity while ensuring environmental sustainability.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>