The social-ecological systems approach and the concept of ecosystem services, the benefits humans derive from ecosystems, have been key in the research of the centre since its inception.

Why? Because in our globalized society, there are virtually no ecosystems that are not shaped by people and there are no people living without the need for nature's beneficial contributions. People and nature are truly intertwined in what we refer to as social-ecological systems.

Societies and economies are fundamentally integrated with what is called the biosphere, the relatively thin zone around the planet's surface in which all life on Earth exists. The biosphere contains the life-supporting ecosystems that provide us with a hospitable climate, clean water, food, fibers and numerous other goods and services.

However, this social-ecological integration is often not reflected in policies nor in human behavior.

A biosphere shaped by humans
Globalization is one explanation for the disconnection between humans and nature. During the last 200 years, and particularly after World War II, economic development, international collaboration, technical and social innovation, and improved health have all contributed to boost the standard of living for most people.

Over the same time period, Earth’s ecosystems have come under growing pressure, not only locally, but also at larger geographical scales. More than half of the planet’s ecosystem services that support human well-being have been assessed as being degraded or used unsustainably.

Some scientists argue that we have entered the Anthropocene, because humans now shape every aspect of the biosphere. There are now so many people connected throughout the world and operating at such a fast pace that we are altering the way the biosphere functions. The pervasive human impact on the world's ecosystems is limiting the prospects for the future generation of ecosystem services.

This 3-minute journey takes you through 250 years of global social-ecological system change from the start of the Industrial Revolution to today.

Carl Folke, a co-founder of the Stockholm Resilience Centre, says he is "embarrassed as a human that we have in two generations created mindsets where we consider us independent of the biosphere".

Instead, we need to understand that "the environment" is not an optional extra in our decision-making; nature is the very fundament for our existence.

Watch a longer interview with Carl Folke here

Integrating food, health and sustainability
Globally, our societies are putting extreme pressure on the Earth's climate and ecosystems. Take food production for instance. Agriculture alone occupies more than 35% of Earth's terrestrial surface, the largest use of land on the planet, yet an estimated 33% of global food production is wasted. That is a depressing reflection of today's unsustainable production and consumption pathways.

Despite these clear indications that much of society lives as if it were disconnected from the biosphere, there are also clear signals of a renaissance in how individuals relate to the environment. There is a growing acknowledgement that unhealthy food habits, obesity, food-related non-communicable diseases and chronic malnourishment affects our planetary social-ecological system.

This has motivated science-policy-practice initiatives such as EAT Stockholm Food Forum, working to collectively address the linked issues of food, health and sustainability.

In a world committed to feeding a population of nine billion people by 2050, how can our societies better govern all the services that lay the very foundation for what we eat? Governing complex social-ecological systems requires an institutional ability and enthusiasm to deal with, adapt to and shape sudden changes. This requires a move from rigid sector-based resource management to more adaptive ecosystem-based management.

Centre director Johan Rockström on how we can feed nine billion people within the planetary boundaries.

Adaptive governance
Research suggests that flexible social networks and organisations built on adaptive learning are in a better position to sustain and manage ecological systems. Adaptive governance approaches must be able to coordinate relevant actors at multiple scales. These approaches are increasingly appearing at regional and global level.

The wetlands of Kristianstad in southern Sweden is an excellent example of how relationships between people and nature can work. Stretching some 105,000 hectares, Kristianstad Vattenrike is a result of a bottom-up initiative that has implemented ecosystem management in Sweden since 1989. Conflicting interests have been turned into adaptive governance where municipalities, businesses, and farmers collaborate with bird-watchers and eco-tourism. This collective effort has become a part of the local economy and identity.

Adaptive governance can also be found on an international level. For example, global collaboration has shaped measures taken to curb illegal and unregulated fisheries in Antarctic waters. When collaboration between states stalled because of political sensitivity, NGOs and the fishing industry mobilised forces, which eventually reduced illegal and unregulated fishing considerably.

See animation describing how the illegal fisheries in the Antarctic have been reduced over the years.

Change perceptions
To reconnect people to the biosphere, there’s the need for a change in our minds.

It is time to realise that societies and economies are integral parts of the biosphere, and to start working on more adaptive ways of governing our natural capital, not for the sake of the environment only, but for our own development. Poverty alleviation and future human development cannot take place without a wider recognition of nature’s contribution to our well-being, health and security.

It is time for a shift in perception – from seeing people and nature as separate systems to recognizing our interdependent social-ecological systems. Reconnect.