Recent years have witnessed wide publicity of a variety of global sustainability issues reaching across political and natural borders. While some of these challenges have been around for decades, recent renewed interest has brought them to the forefront of societal importance. For example, this past year’s increases in food prices and food shortages have highlighted the pervasive issue of global poverty, and recent flooding and droughts in the United States and tsunamis in Asia have led to renewed emphases in ecosystem services and water supply issues. Dismal statistics about our current global situation and ominous forecasts about our future can be heard or read on a daily basis in nearly all media news outlets. The good news? The time has never been more appropriate for agricultural and biological engineers to play a leading role in problem-solving on the global stage.