Beneficial soil microbiota as drivers of sustainable crop production

The risks of rapidly growing human population, unsustainable environmental destruction, consequent food scarcity and destabilization of the global geopolitics were early recognized by Prof. Lester R. Brown, an environmentalist and enthusiast raising voice for future generations and emphasizing the costs, consequences and realities of our modern lifestyle. This short review was written to honour his lifelong work and determination to a great cause, discussing recent achievements of agricultural microbiology and how they may contribute to the goal of sustainable agricultural development.