Lead (Pb) is a non-essential heavy metal that is highly toxic and is continually being added to agricultural soils from mining, smelting, industrial emissions, sewage sludge, phosphate fertilizers, paint residues and vehicle-related deposition. In crop plants, Pb entry occurs mainly through roots and it is tightly retained in root tissues but a small fraction can be translocated to shoots and edible organs. Pb disrupts seed germination, root architecture, water relations, mineral nutrition, photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism and reproductive development. At cellular level, Pb induces oxidative stress via overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), disrupts membranes, proteins, nucleic acids and chloroplasts and disturbs essential metal homeostasis and enzyme function. Plants react to Pb stress by exclusion in the rhizosphere, binding to cell walls, efflux at the plasma membrane, chelation with organic acids and thiol compounds, detoxification mediated by phytochelatins and glutathione, sequestration in vacuoles and activation of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Remediation needs source control and risk-based soil management. In situ immobilization using lime, phosphate, biochar, compost, iron oxides, and other amendments can reduce Pb bioavailability and crop uptake. Phytoextraction, phytostabilization, microbe-assisted remediation, and chelate-assisted approaches provide biological options with a range of trade-offs. Pb has low mobility and limited phytoextractability. The most reliable approach to protect crop productivity and human health is through integrated strategies such as contamination assessment, amendment-based stabilization, tolerant crop selection, food-safety monitoring, and, when necessary, excavation or capping.