The scientific research on the application of RNA interference (RNAi) in plant protection is piling up and offers new strategies with several commercial applications already available, which marks the beginning of the technology’s impact on global agricultural production. Both pests and diseases can be controlled with high specificity by exposure to dsRNA, while the protection efficiency depends mainly on the species sensitivity, the targeted gene, and the delivery method. Today, China is an undisputed leader in RNAi research, with more than 60% of the published studies in the last few years; however, the first commercialized products were released on the US market, and also much original basic research has been done in Europe. The current developments in this field are related to the understanding of the factors influencing species sensitivity to dsRNA exposure, mostly with regard to insects but also other species, and to increasing the number of pests and pathogens in which the strategy has been tested. Much has been done to improve the two main methods of dsRNA delivery, namely by expression in the host plants or by spraying. To realize its potential, the technology is facing several challenges, including regulatory uncertainties and the stability and durability of the protection, as well as the need for pro-active prevention of resistance development against the insecticidal dsRNA.