The concept of ecosystem services has received significant attention since the appearance of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment(MA). Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems.

Climate change is a serious environmental challenge that could undermine the drive for sustainable development. Since the industrial revolution, the mean surface temperature of earth has increased an average of 1degree celsius per century due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The rapid increase in food prices in many countries has led to substantial media attention on agriculture. This publication does not attempt to cover everything there is to know about agricultural ecosystems. Rather, it tries to present well documented facts and figures to better understand the challenges
facing the sustainable management of agricultural ecosystems.

Biodiversity for food and agriculture includes the variability among living organisms contributing to food and agriculture, including also the forestry and fisheries sectors. This concept includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.

The coastal marine environment provides enormous value in fishery and other products and in ecosystem services including coastal protection, water purification, and appropriate locations for ports, harbors, urban centers, tourist destinations, and numerous recreational pursuits.