On the threshold of the third millennium, environmental protection becomes, the ridge on which public policy is measured against the more complex issues of development. Not surprisingly, the Authors immediately assume this awareness, at the opening of the volume, significantly pointing out that the risk of the depletion of natural biological resources casts doubt on their enjoyment not only by future generations, but, even before that, seriously undermines that possibility even with respect to the present generation. The text analyzes two issues that should be emphasized for the depth and horizon they present to jurists: the pluralism of legal systems and the role of technology with respect to the choices of the legislature. What emerges from the volume is a fundamental fact with relevant legal implications, namely, the transversality of environmental matters, which cut across multiple areas and sectors, from agriculture to land and biodiversity. The Authors address on the legal side the issue of genetically modified organisms, a crucial topic for the economy and society of the third millennium.