The world's population is expected to increase by a third in the next 30 years, whilst land for crop and livestock production will continue to decline with further urbanisation.  It is thus inevitable that intensive agriculture will continue in order to ensure adequate food supplies to provide a satisfactory diet for an ever-increasing number of people.  This is contrary to the views of those who, with plentiful supplies of food urge the adoption of less intensive systems, where use of fertilisers, herbicides and insecticides are being phased out. But such systems are not likely to become the model for world food production, leaving the majority involved in food provision to strive for intensive systems of livestock and crop production, which are more benign with respect to the environment. It is in this context that the development and use of genetically modified (GM) crops could offer considerable potential.