funding for this program is provided by annenberg media. narrator: agriculture provides us with the food we need to survive. to keep pace with an ever-growing population, scientists created new seed varieties that provided outstanding yields but also required increased inputs -- more fertilizer and more pesticides -- but at what cost to the environment? peter kenmore of the united nations food and agriculture organization has been working with farmers for 30 years to decrease the use of pesticides in rice production. dr. kenmore: we have been able basically to substitute brains for chemicals. and in that sense, the growth rate stays up but less chemicals are used. narrator: in the yaqui valley of mexico, researchers are finding that excess fertilizer runoff from wheat crops is affecting marine life in the gulf of california. so they are turning to technology to decrease fertilizer inputs without decreasing yields. dr. ortiz-monasterio: technology like this can result in a win-win situation, where the farmer benefits and at the same time the environment benefits. narrator: by showing farmers how to reduce pesticide and fertilizer use, both research teams hope to minimize environmental impacts while still producing enough food for our growing population.