Weeds pose significant challenges to agricultural production, reducing crop yields and quality while increasing production costs. The widespread use of herbicides in the Green Revolution era led to increased crop yields but also environmental and ecological issues, such as herbicide resistance and pollution. There is a growing demand for more sustainable agricultural practices that integrate ecological insights and traditional knowledge. This paper explores the negative consequences of chemical weed management, including toxicology, herbicide residues, persistency, and resistance, as well as food and water hazards. It also discusses preventive measures, weed surveillance, economic thresholds, seedbank depletion, competitive crops, weed predation, and allelopathy. The paper then outlines system-based approaches for non-chemical weed management, including cropping system approaches, good agronomic practices, cover crops, intercropping, and mulching. These methods aim to create ecologically intensive agro-ecosystems, reduce reliance on herbicides, and promote sustainable agriculture.Weeds pose significant challenges to agricultural production, reducing crop yields and quality while increasing production costs. The widespread use of herbicides in the Green Revolution era led to increased crop yields but also environmental and ecological issues, such as herbicide resistance and pollution. There is a growing demand for more sustainable agricultural practices that integrate ecological insights and traditional knowledge. This paper explores the negative consequences of chemical weed management, including toxicology, herbicide residues, persistency, and resistance, as well as food and water hazards. It also discusses preventive measures, weed surveillance, economic thresholds, seedbank depletion, competitive crops, weed predation, and allelopathy. The paper then outlines system-based approaches for non-chemical weed management, including cropping system approaches, good agronomic practices, cover crops, intercropping, and mulching. These methods aim to create ecologically intensive agro-ecosystems, reduce reliance on herbicides, and promote sustainable agriculture.