Sustainable agriculture is one that produces abundant food without depleting the earth’s resources or polluting its environment. In post green revolution era global food production has increased tremendously, mainly from the increased yields resulting from new crop varieties of cereals and millets, greater inputs of fertilizer, water and pesticides, and other technologies. This has increased the global per capita food supply reducing hunger. World population is likely to grow from 6 billion in 2000 to 8 billion in 2025 and stabilize at about 10 billion by 2050 with major increases being in developing countries. The impact of green revolution technologies has already been witnessed in terms of degraded soil and water and reduced the biodiversity that are key elements to food security.

In recent decades, researchers around the world have quite often advocated ecology-based approaches to sustain natural resource base by recycling plant nutrients and conserving water and soil and integrate crop and livestock enterprises on the farm. However, in terms of grain yield production such technologies have been questionable in terms of demand and supply for ever growing population. There is a need to bridge the huge gap between attainable yield and average yields harvested by the farmers especially in developing countries under fragile environments. Also, participatory research and knowledge management with farming communities needs strengthening to enhance productivity and income per hectare on an environmentally sustainable basis. In fact scientists and policy makers have advocated for an ever green revolution which is both more productive and more ‘green’ in terms of food and nutritional security, conserving natural resources and the environment Therefore a multi-pronged approach based on knowledge and experiences from conventional crop improvement, emerging biotechnologies and improved agricultural production technologies are needed.

Keeping these facts in view, the Cereal Research Non-Profit Ltd., Szeged, Hungary and International Foundation for Sustainable Development in Africa and Asia, Goettingen, Germany have planned to organize the 3rd International Seminar for Crop Science for Food Security, Bioenergy and Sustainability for researchers, development functionaries and policy planners to discuss such issues and draw a coherent strategy to tackle some of the above stated issues. You and your fellow colleagues are cordially invited to join us at Szeged, Hungary and we will be delighted to welcome you.