The phrase ecoadaptive strategies has its roots in cultural anthropology – the branch of anthropology concerned with culture and human society.  According to anthropologists, human culture is an adaptation of the ecosystem inhabited by a society.  Humans are masterful at adapting to changes in their environment and have an inherent inclination to sustainably manage the resources that provide them with sustenance and enable them to survive.

Increasingly and disturbingly, however, as human civilization has evolved technologically and in the process, harnessed more complex forms of energy, such as fossil fuels and nuclear power, we have mismanaged, squandered and degraded the very natural resources which underpin our economic structures.  By adopting an ecological perspective in formulating strategic plans, small businesses position themselves to adapt to the changing environment of a globalized economy that is dynamically shifting to the local level.