Societal wealth

The Fieldnotes, an online magazine, by the Shambhala Institute makes always good reading. I was amazed this time by an article - Forest Wealth - that speaks about the hosting that a forest does. The autor, Jim Drescher, tries then to make the link with creation of social wealth.

Here are the main questions he raises:

"Could societal health be measured in the same way as the health of a forest; namely the “capacity for hosting, in dynamic stability, an abundance and diversity” of people? Perhaps we should add something about living in peace and mutual encouragement.

Then what is the wealth that supports this healthy society? How is that wealth “created”? Does a similar positive feedback force exist?

In other words, is there some fundamental element of wealth in human society that is the primary cause of societal health, where health is defined as the capacity for hosting abundance, diversity, stability, and peace?"