The United States Census Bureau states that world population is expected to reach more than 9 billion by year 2050. With continuously less land and resources, this is a statistic that causes many agriculturalists to lose sleep time and time again.

In much of the world, the percentage of those producing our food has decreased dramatically in the last century. With the evolution of agriculture, the average consumer has grown further away from the farm with every generation. Because of this shift, 98% of the population in the United States and Canada relies on the remaining 2% to provide food and fiber. Leaving farmers to answer the difficult question, “How do we sustainably feed the world by 2050?”

A recent Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) publication, written by Susan T. Radcliffe and other well-respected authors, examined the current plant protection revolution—the development of methods used to control disease, insects, and weeds. The authors stress the need for new technologies and integrated crop protection systems to help minimize environmental impacts, protect pollinators and other ecosystems, conserve natural resources, and increase farm productivity.