Tilapias, particularly Oreochromis spp., are farmed throughout the tropics and subtropics but most of the production comes from a few Asian countries. Global production increased by about 13%/yr from 1985 to 1989. A global search of the research base for the development of tilapia farming reveals that it has been almost entirely along biotechnical, disciplinary lines. Interdisciplinary research comprised only 5% of the documents reviewed. Tilapia farming is now evolving as an enterprise integrated with others, particularly agriculture. Future directions for research are discussed.