Preface

Towards the end of 2011, the human population surpassed 7 billion. the 8 billion mark will be crossed shortly after 2020i , with most of the new population concentrating in the least-developed or developing countries. however, do we have enough food to feed this ever-growing population and to provide them with the necessary nourishment they need? agricultural yield has hiked leaps and bounds since the inception of industrial machinery, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. crop losses to pests were once largely reduced with the use of pesticides. yet, we know now that pesticides are not the silver bullets we have hoped for as pests have evolved and developed resistance to many of the pesticides we use. pests, be they microbial pathogens like viruses, bacteria and fungi or insects and snails, are a huge threat to our food security. very often, pests are also a natural component of the environment we live in. gone is the notion that pests should be eradicated, for that goal is simply too costly, if not impossible. instead, we need to manage pests and keep their impacts low. that is the reality; the goal is to manage pests well-sustainably and profitably.