<p>Climate change poses significant challenges to global food security, exacerbating crop-yield reductions, water scarcity, soil degradation, and pest proliferation. To address these emerging threats, nanotechnology has emerged as a promising solution in agriculture, offering innovations that optimize resource use, enhance crop resilience, and improve productivity. Nanomaterials such as nano-fertilizers, nano-pesticides, and nanosensors are revolutionizing agricultural practices by enabling precise nutrient delivery, efficient pest control, and real-time monitoring of soil health. Furthermore, nanotechnology facilitates sustainable practices by improving water use efficiency, enhancing soil health, and supporting precision farming. However, the adoption of nanotechnology in agriculture is not without concerns, particularly regarding the environmental and health risks of nanoparticles. While existing literature extensively catalogs individual applications, a critical synthesis that compares mechanisms across nanomaterial classes and evaluates their field scalability within a climate-specific context is lacking. This review addresses this gap by providing a mechanistic framework to differentiate how major nanomaterial classes (e.g., metallic, polymeric, carbon-based) confer stress resilience and resource efficiency through distinct pathways, ranging from reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and phytohormone modulation to structural reinforcement and targeted antimicrobial action. We critically synthesize current research on the role of nanotechnology in mitigating the impacts of climate change on agriculture, focusing on its applications to enhance water-use efficiency, promote crop stress tolerance, and ensure sustainable food production. Beyond cataloging effects, we propose a comparative analysis of material-specific pathways and trade-offs, including a systematic evaluation of contradictory findings across nanomaterial types, experimental conditions, and field contexts. We also discuss the need for eco-friendly, biodegradable nanomaterials and robust regulatory frameworks to guide safe and equitable implementation. By aligning with the United Nations’ ‘sustainable development goals’, nanotechnology offers a transformative pathway for climate-resilient agriculture, provided that its development and application are conducted responsibly.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>