ABSTRACT
Agriculture around the world is entering a new phase of development. In addition to their traditional roles of providing food and fiber for an ever-growing world population, farmers increasingly will be called on to supply renewable materials for energy and manufacturing and to provide new ecological services, yet will have to do so under unprecedented circumstances of higher energy costs and rapidly changing weather patterns. Therefore, it is an appropriate time to evaluate how we will move forward in designing agricultural systems that will be successful in this new environment.
