Agroecology, Biodiversity, Pollinators & Ecosystem Services

A farm is never just a place that produces food — it is a living landscape woven into the wider web of nature, where hedgerows, pollinators, soil organisms, and surrounding habitats all contribute to how well crops grow. Agroecology takes this view seriously, treating the farm as an ecosystem whose biodiversity can be harnessed to do work that would otherwise demand costly inputs. Pollination, pest regulation, nutrient cycling, and water purification are all ecosystem services delivered freely when the underlying biodiversity is healthy. The Agroecology, Biodiversity, Pollinators & Ecosystem Services session explores how ecological principles can be applied to design productive systems that work with nature rather than against it. It considers how habitat, diversity, and ecological function can be deliberately built into farming to sustain both yields and the living systems that support them.

Which on-farm habitats most effectively support the pollinators a crop depends on? How can field margins and diversity be arranged to draw in natural pest enemies? These design-led questions shape the discussions, which connect ecological research with practical land management. Delegates at this Agriculture Conference will examine how ecological farming and ecosystem services can reduce reliance on external inputs while enhancing resilience and biodiversity. The programme spans pollinator conservation, beneficial habitat, functional diversity, and the valuation of nature's contributions to agriculture. By showing that biodiversity is an asset to be cultivated rather than an obstacle to be cleared, the session helps researchers and farmers design landscapes that are both productive and ecologically rich.