Summary

The interlinked food, energy and economic crises necessitate action at multiple levels. The transition to sustainability is urgent, but is it possible? Food and energy production has hitherto focused on enhancing productivity, often addressing the issues strictly in terms of profitability. Ecological and socio-cultural aspects of food production and natural resource management have gained momentum, under the pressure of accelerated ecosystem degradation and deterioration of bio-cultural diversity. Society now needs to redefine its responsibilities and realize this transition to sustainability, towards a world that allows humanity as a whole to maintain and extend quality throughout the diversity of life.