<p>Foams are widely valued for their lightweight and multifunctional properties but are traditionally produced from petroleum based plastics, contributing to environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions and toxicity. In response, research has increasingly focused on developing eco-friendly foams using natural polymers and additives. Biodegradable foams made from starch, cellulose, and lignocellulosic materials have gained attention as sustainable alternatives to synthetic foams. Various fabrication methods including extrusion, hot-mold baking, microwave heating, freeze-drying, and supercritical fluid extrusion have been explored to improve their performance and environmental profile. Additives and fillers enhance properties such as mechanical strength, hydrophobicity, compressibility, thermal insulation, and antibacterial activity. Plasticizers like water, glycerol, and palm oil improve elasticity and toughness, reducing brittleness during handling and storage, while thickeners such as guar gum and magnesium stearate offer low-cost compatibility with natural polymers. Although agricultural biomass and natural fibers support foam development, petroleum-based biodegradable polymers are sometimes incorporated to reinforce starch-based foams. These materials show promise for diverse applications, including food and loose-fill packaging, filtration, insulation, medical uses, and construction. However, early formulations of starch and cellulose based foams suffered from high hydrophilicity, limiting their use in food packaging. Efforts to improve water resistance with hydrophobic fillers faced challenges such as pathogen attraction and instability in humid environments. To address these limitations, researchers have turned to lignocellulosic and biodegradable polyester-based foams, though high production costs remain a significant barrier. This review evaluates the effectiveness of current strategies to enhance the functionality and stability of biodegradable foams and identifies promising, cost-effective alternatives, offering insights into their future potential across multiple industrial applications.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>