Salute, biodiversità, benessere

Riccardo Guarino’s chapter “Health, Biodiversity and Well-being” offers a critical ecological perspective on the relationship between environmental integrity, food systems, and human health. The author traces the historical evolution from traditional agroecosystems—characterized by low energy inputs, biodiversity conservation, and cyclical resource use—to the modern agro-industrial paradigm founded on mechanization, chemical dependency, and monocultures. This transition, he argues, has produced not only a dramatic reduction in agrobiodiversity but also severe repercussions on soil fertility, ecosystem resilience, and global health. Guarino interprets these transformations through a socio-ecological lens, linking the exploitation of natural resources and the consumerist culture of modern societies to environmental degradation and psychosocial distress. Drawing on the One Health framework, he highlights the biological and functional continuum between soil, plant, animal, and human microbiota, emphasizing that human well-being depends on maintaining ecological balance at all scales. The chapter calls for a paradigm shift from anthropocentrism to a biocentric and symbiotic worldview, where technological progress aligns with regenerative agricultural practices, circular economy principles, and the preservation of biodiversity. Ultimately, Guarino advocates for redefining well-being as a dynamic state of equilibrium between human needs and planetary health. Sustainable agriculture, local food systems, and the integration of ecological knowledge into social and economic policies are presented as essential conditions for achieving a truly equitable and resilient society.