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Newly formed stars can have dramatic effects on their formation environments, through mechanical (winds, radiation pressure), thermal (radiative heating, supernovae), and chemical (ionizing radiation) feedback. Depending on the environment and the masses of the stars involved, these mechanisms can both prevent or induce star formation, and can also have other important effects, such as modifying the mass function of stars not yet born. In this contribution I review the various feedback mechanisms, and summarize both our observational and theoretical understanding of their effects. I argue that two of the most important problems in star formation theory -- the origin of the IMF and the surprisingly low rate of star formation -- can only be solved by a thorough understanding of feedback.
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