Biotechnology offers new opportunities in pest management. Over the past decade, genes conferring insect resistance, viral disease resistance and herbicide tolerance have been introduced into commercial corn, cotton, soybean, canola and potato varieties. This has produced a generation of highly targeted yet flexible pest management options with substantial economic and environmental benefits. The next decade will see similar genes and traits introduced into a broader range of crops, as well as the development of novel forms of pest resistance. Thus far, insect resistance in commercial varieties has been limited to pest Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. A range of genes conferring resistance to other orders of insect pests, nematodes, and fungal and bacterial plant diseases have been identified. In addition, promoters that confer inducible rather than constitutive expression of these traits are being investigated. This talk will discuss the nature and impact of current and future generations of biotech crops