Throughout the world, an estimated one billion people lack access to clean fresh water, and almost as many suffer from hunger and malnourishment. At the other end of the food spectrum, millions of people suffer disease and ill health associated with overconsumption and poorquality nutrition. For the first time in modern history, average life expectancies in developed nations such as the United States are projected to decline in the next generation as a result of conditions associated with poor nutrition, including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The potential of science to address these global issues was examined at the Fourth World Conference on The Future of Science, September 24–27 in Venice, Italy. The theme of the conference was ‘‘Food and Water for Life’’(www. thefutureofscience. org). Speakers and conference attendees included scientists from many disciplines as well as politicians, economists, and social scientists, all united by their interests in exploring solutions to some of the most pressing problems facing humanity. Plant Science has a central role in addressing many of these issues, especially those related to food and agriculture. Plant scientists who spoke on how research in their area can help secure adequate food and improved nutrition for the world in the 21st century included Dirk Inze (Ghent University, Belgium), Jonathan Jones (Sainsbury Laboratory, UK), Cathie Martin (John Innes Centre, UK), Ingo Potrykus (Golden Rice Board and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland), David Tilman (University of Minnesota), and Chiara Tonelli (University of Milan, Italy). This report offers a brief summary of and commentary on issues discussed, focusing on topics directly related to plant science.