Multiple interests and pressures on Earth today are moving us rapidly towards problems and progress. As major gains are made on some fronts, new problems emerge on others. Unresolved religious, tribal and ethnic differences are causing confrontations. The Green Revolution of the 1960s allowed food production to catch up temporarily with the food requirements of a growing population. However, the increases in cereal yields have slowed and decreases are now being reported in some areas highly dependent on these crops. Scientists at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) are attempting now to engineer a new rice to help keep yields abreast of population needs for the immediate future. Only through biotechnology does such a possibility exist.