One way to feed all of the people in the world’s growing population is through the increased use of plant-growth-promoting bacteria in agriculture. These bacteria not only directly promote growth but also protect plants against a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses. Moreover, they can be used to support procedures for biologically cleaning up the environment. Plant-growth-promoting bacteria are already being used successfully on a small scale in several countries, and as this technology matures, the world may witness a major paradigm shift in agricultural practice.