A steady supply of good, safe from cycles of plenty and scarcity, secured against dwindling away—what a precious prospect for humanity this would be! With such supply, fear would fade and generosity would flower.
Everywhere, people long for the peace of mind that an absolutely certain provision of basic necessities would bring. And throughout the world many labor diligently to strengthen sustainable productivity that preserves resources.
A report in The Christian Science Monitor pointed out that "a combination of new drought-, cold-, salt-, and pest-resistant crop strains, better crop- and water-management techniques, and biotechnology holds promise of expanding food supplies fast enough to keep up with world demand." Monitor, April 3, 1996 . But as the article explains, very much remains to be done. And indeed some forces that appear to affect supply—weather, for instance— seem beyond the reach of human ingenuity to remedy.
