Science Deep Dive Oxford 2026

As part of Oxford Tech Week 2026, Families for Nature convened scientists, investors, entrepreneurs, philanthropists and policymakers for an exchange with Oxford University's Nature-based Solutions Initiative (NbSI), represented by Professor Nathalie Seddon, Dr Aline Soterroni and Dr Jen Lucey.

Climate, biodiversity and food security are still too often addressed separately. Yet resilient landscapes depend on solutions that can restore nature, support food production and help cool the planet at the same time.

Through its Synergies work, The Nature-based Solutions Initiative (NbSI) at the University of Oxford combines ecological research, satellite and LiDAR data, modelling, economics, social science and local knowledge to develop the evidence and tools needed for credible, high-integrity nature-based solutions - shaping resilient production landscapes and informing climate–biodiversity policy and practice.

NbSI’s Synergies Programme is developing an open-source, co-created and multiscale land-use modelling framework that connects global scenarios with local knowledge. Starting in Brazil, the programme will help policymakers identify and operationalise practical climate–nature synergies, while creating an approach that can be adapted and replicated across regions worldwide.

These policy and modelling tools matter because they can help guide how landscapes are designed and managed on the ground. Nature’s complexity is not a barrier, but a source of resilience - helping landscapes withstand shocks, adapt and recover. Regenerative agriculture means working with natural processes to achieve reliable yields without depleting ecosystems. New technologies can help map, measure and restore biodiversity at scale. We learned about two initiatives advancing this work: the Agricultural Resilience Impact and Innovation Hub (AGRIIH), which brings stakeholders together to develop nature-positive food systems; and the Oxford MSPO Inspire Lab, which is working with the Malaysian palm oil sector

Please find the presentations here: NbSI Oxford 2026 Presentations

We also highly recommend Dr. Aline Soterroni's TED Talk, which offers a compelling perspective on the relationship between climate and nature. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs3xDQjVvME