Nature or Nourishment? Balancing biodiversity conservation and food security. A public lecture by Professor Deepa Senapathi 

We’re living in an era of rapid environmental change. Wildlife and ecosystems are declining, while climate change and a growing global population are placing increasing strain on our food systems.

Given these pressures, it’s easy to assume that protecting nature and feeding people are competing priorities – but are they?

Drawing on research from the UK, Europe and South India, this public talk by Professor Deepa Senapathi will explore how farmers and policymakers are using nature friendly farming methods to support the beneficial insects that underpin our food systems. Rather than relying on a “one size fits all” approach, Professor Senapathi will show why local context matters, and how thoughtful choices can create genuine win-win solutions for both people and the natural world.

About the speaker

Professor Deepa Senapathi is an applied ecologist whose work focuses on how climate change and land use change affect biodiversity and the vital services that nature provides. She has advised government as a Policy Fellow at Defra, worked with conservation practitioners across the UK and Europe, and collaborated with smallholder farmers in South India to develop more sustainable, biodiversity friendly crop systems. Her research spans endangered bird conservation, insect pollinator ecology, and the design of land management strategies that benefit both ecosystems and livelihoods.