Forest biotechnology: trees of our future

The trees of our future will inevitably include trees developed with specific characteristics to fit environmental, social and economic world needs. How do we prepare for these trees? The evolving social and political arena in which technology must answer questions has and will continue to influence the process. Forest biotechnology has the opportunity to address many of these questions at the beginning of the technology development, incorporating research directed to social benefit and engaging a wide audience to insure the best possible outcomes. This paper describes a programme directed to achieving this goal.