Resumo. We briefly discuss the present situation of biological control in Brazil and worldwide. The last decade has seen great progress, with several successful cases of pest control using macro- or microorganisms. Despite these advances in Brazil, although the country has progressed further than in other parts of the world, challenges remain to be overcome, including the "culture" of Brazilian farmers and the low availability of biological-control agents. As Brazil has become a leader in tropical agriculture over the last 40 years, we will most likely soon be leaders in tropical biological control as well.