Sacchi Shin-Clayton, Museum of Zoology, writes:

When we think about conservation, our minds often go to preserving untouched natural forests. While this is undeniably important, we sometimes overlook the pressing need to restore the landscapes we’ve already transformed through human activity. Agriculture, for instance, is one of the biggest drivers of landscape change worldwide, and with the ever-growing demand for food, it’s only intensifying. The challenge—and the opportunity—lies in figuring out how to balance agricultural productivity with ecological conservation.

This challenge is at the heart of my PhD research. I’m focused on restoring and maintaining river margins, or riparian ecosystems, within oil palm plantations in Indonesia. While palm oil has a notoriously poor reputation, it’s one of the most efficient crops in the world. Its potential for sustainable management is immense—if done right. Since 2018, my lab group has been trialling three different restoration treatments along rivers in large plantations in Riau Indonesia. We aim to uncover not just which methods restore biodiversity most effectively, but also which can benefit agriculture itself. For example, could planting vegetation along river margins bring back animals that prey on crop pests, reducing the need for chemical pesticides? Could this natural balance not only help the environment but also boost profits for the palm oil industry by lowering pesticide costs? Also, could the replanting of the river margins create a refuge for animals, especially with the expected increases in temperature due to climate change? These are some of the questions I hope to answer, and I’m optimistic that our findings could inspire policies that better integrate agriculture with nature conservation. This project thrives on partnerships between academics and industry leaders, a model I believe is essential for creating practical, effective policies. I am very excited to be part of a project that seeks to bring agriculture and conservation together—not as rivals, but as allies for a sustainable future.