Rice production in Asia must increase from its current in order to feed an additional 650 million consumers while ensuring profitability for countless resource-poor farmers. Biotechnology can help address these major challenges of guaranteeing food security while alleviating poverty in Asia. New processes and second- and third-generation products, It is important to note, however, that biotechnology is not a panacea for achieving food security and sustainability of rice-based agricultural systems in Asia. The tasks ahead are gargantuan and the future remains uncertain.