Inexpensive fossil fuels are used to operate large machinery, which enables large-scale cultivation, mono-cropping, standardization and high-volume transport, and the synthesis of fertilizers and agricultural chemicals permits the improvement of soil fertility and simplified management of ecosystems. Until the nineteenth century, agriculturalists were basically forced to engage in stable sustainable agriculture that took maximum advantage of nature’s functions. But during the twentieth century, by taking full advantage of the energy sources provided by inexpensive fossil fuels, “using natural functions” gave way to “applying technology to transform nature”.