Uppland, Sweden. During the past 40 years, modern agriculture has boosted annual yields of principal crops such as corn, wheat, and rice by almost two percent, contributing to a significant improvement in the world’s food supply. This rapid growth in productivity has provided billions of new citizens in the world with food for their tables. At the same time, to keep pace with the explosive growth of the human population, agriculture has continued to expand into natural ecosystems. Although it has become the number one factor contributing to human welfare during the past 50 years, in other words, agriculture has also become the primary cause of decreased biodiversity.
degradation, even though we are actually seeing signs that our economies are suffering, not only locally—through loss of bio- diversity, for example—but also regionally—through air pollution and changes in rainfall due to deforestation—and even globally —through climate change that makes heat waves and downpours unusually severe. The reason the planet looks »all right« is that it is actively buffering and dampening the effects of human pressures. Through all its natural systems, our planet is trying to stay in the stable Holocene state, demonstrating the remarkable resilience of our Earth system. Our magnificent planet continues to present to us its natural
wonders: the astounding biological diversity of the Amazon rainforest, the mountain gorillas of the Virunga forests in Rwanda, the underwater paradise of coral reefs in Irian Jaya (Western
Papua), and the magnificent richness of wildlife on the African savannah. Like a loving mother patiently responding to a frus- tratingly demanding child, Earth keeps absorbing humanity’s stresses and disturbances without faltering. But under the surface of our planet’s shining beauty, there are growing signs of ecological cracks in her harmonious facade. That leads to the second paradox: Even as we recognize that
we are threatening our life-support systems, we are also discov- ering that these same natural systems are the basis of our own wealth and well-being. Forests, lakes, wetlands—with their clean air and water and stunningly beautiful views—not only support us, but also cushion us from some of the shocks and stresses that come our way as we continue to use our planet’s resources. If we continue to behave as we do, we face an increasingly turbulent