World agriculture in the 21st century will face three major challenges: how to feed a growing world population, how to contribute to reducing the still high prevalence of rural poverty in the world, and how to respond to increased concerns about managing the natural resource base. We are entering a new era of science that will help shifting of agriculture from net emissions to net sink, from major energy user to energy provider, from major threat to biodiversity to major habitat for biodiversity. We need new knowledge and education systems that effectively link specialists together to understand and impact complex biological systems. This transformation has already begun, and we invite all countries, citizens, and the private sector to be a part of building the agriculture we need to fit the challenges of this century. As the global population continues to grow, increasing to a projected nine billion people by 2050, demand for food and other agricultural products will increase. This demand must be met even though climate change, issues such as soil loss, pest and pathogen damage, and land and water availability prevail throughout the world. Addressing these immense challenges will require the development and scale-up of new, innovative, and environmentally friendly agricultural methods and technologies. High input, resource intensive farming systems, which have caused massive deforestation, water scarcities, soil depletion and high levels of greenhouse gas emissions, cannot deliver sustainable food and agricultural production. Needed are innovative systems that protect and enhance the natural resource base, while increasing productivity. Needed is a transformative process towards ‘holistic’ approaches, such as agro-ecology, agro-forestry, climate-smart agriculture and conservation agriculture, which also build upon indigenous and traditional knowledge. Technological improvements, along with drastic cuts in economy wide and agricultural fossil fuel use, would help to address climate change and the intensification of natural hazards, which affect all ecosystems and every aspect of human life. Greater international collaboration is needed to prevent emerging transboundary agriculture and food system threats, such as pests and diseases. Farm technology has come a long way in the past few decades. From cell phone apps to Global Positioning Systems, farmers have more opportunities than ever to incorporate the newest and best ideas into their operations. Surprisingly, many of the newest technological advancements are common in everyday life and just used differently on farms. For farmers today, efficiency and constant improvement is crucial. Incorporating new technology is one way for farmers to change the way they operate for the better-helping them to make better business decisions, be more efficient, and produce a better product.