The four-day international Conference on Pest Management in Rice, which is the subject of this volume, was the third in an ongoing series of meetings on tropical crops organised by the Pesticides Group of the Society of Chemical Industry, London. The participants came from both the public and private sectors and from many different countries. All the major groups of pests-weeds, microorganisms, arthropods and rodents-were considered, as the organisers believe that it is necessary to address the total pest management problems in each particular growing area, and the variety of the papers indicates the importance of a multi­ disciplinary approach to their solution. Rice is one of the most important world crops and is the major source of food for around 60% of the world's population, with a world production of 500 million tonnes from 150 million hectares of land. Since world stocks amount to only two months supply, many people are at risk from famine. Moreover, it has been esti­ mated that the world requirement in 2020 will be about 760 million tonnes, an increase of 50%. This pressure of population on food makes efficient pest management vital and is the reason for bringing together experts from all over the world to this major conference.