Accelerating biodiversity loss provides the starting point for this podcast mini-series examining how agroecology can help sustain and restore biological diversity in Southern Africa. Supported by the Seed and Knowledge Initiative (SKI) and developed by the DSTI–NRF Bio-economy Chair at the University of Cape Town, the series is hosted by Zayaan Khan and brings together speakers with diverse forms of knowledge and experience from across the region.

Through interviews, the podcast explores the close relationships between farming systems, seeds, landscapes, ecological processes and biodiversity. It examines the multiple pressures contributing to biodiversity decline and considers how agroecological approaches can respond by strengthening diversity at farm and landscape level, supporting locally adapted knowledge and reducing dependence on practices that simplify ecosystems. The conversations also highlight the importance of understanding biodiversity not only as a conservation concern, but as a foundation for resilient food and farming systems.

By foregrounding perspectives from Southern Africa, the series connects scientific, practical and community-based knowledge. It offers listeners a regional discussion of how agroecology can contribute to biodiversity conservation while also supporting more resilient agricultural systems and strengthening the knowledge required to manage them under changing environmental conditions