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This chapter discusses the value and future of natural desert ecosystems. The goods and services provided by ecological systems and the natural capital that produce them are critical to the functioning of the earth's life-support system. If desert ecosystems are to provide these goods and services, the occupants and managers of the lands in arid regions will have to adopt management strategies that conserve the desired functional and structural attributes of the ecosystems and landscapes within a region. The sustainable production of food and raw materials from arid regions will require a shift from traditional agriculture. The potential for food and fiber production in semiarid and arid lands has been recognized for some time. Light and regimes in subtropical regions provide growing conditions for most of the year. There is a real need to develop nontraditional crops and domesticate or manage arid-adapted animals for meat production. There are many other desert plants that could be cultivated to produce food and fiber in arid environments. A reduction in the activity that produces piospheres around water points is an important consideration in reducing or stopping desertification. In most deserts, termites appear to process a large fraction of the total litter input. As a large fraction of the primary production in most deserts is converted into termite biomass, it would seem logical to develop ways by which termites can be converted into food for humans. Management of arid lands for sustainability requires an understanding of ecosystem properties and processes.