Island Press, US

Designed by a partnership of UN agencies, international scientific organizations, and development agencies, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) is the most extensive study ever of the linkages between the world's ecosystems and human well-being. The goal of the MA is to establish the scientific basis for actions needed to enhance the contribution of ecosystems to human well-being without undermining their long-term productivity.

This comprehensive report outlines a new solution to the biodiversity extinction crisis, in response to its warnings that unless farmers and the world's poorest peoples can learn to coexist with wildlife, hundreds of species may be lost. The approach, called ecoagriculture, seeks to help farmers, most urgently those living in or near biodiversity hotspots, to grow more food while conserving habitats critical to wildlife. The approach dramatically breaks with both traditional conservation policies and common agriculture techniques.

This exceptional publication provides a new analysis of the state of the world and the first global assessment of sustainability. It surveys 180 countries using the Wellbeing Assessment, a unique way of measuring human and ecosystem wellbeing.

Protected areas around the globe - national parks, wildlife reserves, biosphere reserves - will prosper only if they are supported by the public, the private sector, and the full range of government agencies. Yet such support is unlikely unless society appreciates the importance of protected areas to its own interests, and protected areas are well-managed and contribute to the national welfare in a cost-effective way. A crucial foundation for success is full cooperation between individuals and institutions.