Biodiversity: Values, Wellbeing and Politics

Biodiversity is increasingly recognized as one of the defining challenges of the twenty-first century. Yet public and policy debates still tend to approach biodiversity primarily as a conservation issue, often disconnected from questions of human wellbeing, social justice, food systems, climate resilience and economic development. At the same time, climate change, land-use transformation, technological innovation and the growing economic and political significance of biological and genetic resources are reshaping how biodiversity is understood, valued, governed and utilized.

These questions are particularly important in Türkiye, which combines exceptional ecological and agricultural diversity with rapidly intensifying pressures from climate change, water stress, land-use change and the homogenization of agricultural production. Locally adapted crop varieties, traditional ecological knowledge and diverse landscapes represent important resources for resilience, yet their significance often remains marginal to mainstream debates on agriculture, development and climate policy. Biodiversity loss is therefore not simply a question of species conservation: it is closely connected to the resilience of food systems, livelihoods, human wellbeing, cultural heritage and the capacity of societies to adapt to environmental change.

This one-day interdisciplinary workshop brings together scholars, policymakers, civil society organisations and practitioners to examine biodiversity as a socio-ecological and political challenge. It asks how different forms of scientific, local and traditional knowledge shape what societies recognize and value as biodiversity; how the benefits and costs associated with biodiversity and its loss are distributed; and how emerging challenges surrounding genetic resources, Digital Sequence Information (DSI), Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS), climate adaptation and technological change can be governed in scientifically robust, socially just and politically inclusive ways.

The workshop deliberately moves between conceptual debates and concrete cases. Discussions of the multiple values of nature, environmental justice and the politics of biodiversity will be connected to experiences involving olive diversity, local rye varieties and traditional knowledge surrounding plants, before turning to questions of regulation, genetic resources and public policy. Particular attention will be paid throughout the workshop to the roles of local communities, women and traditional ecological knowledge rather than treating them as separate themes.
The overall aim is to broaden the conversation about why biodiversity matters for society and to create dialogue across disciplines and sectors. The workshop will also identify key lessons, policy priorities and areas for future collaboration concerning the relationships between biodiversity, climate resilience, sustainable food systems, wellbeing and environmental justice.
 

09:00 - 09:15   Welcome Remarks

Ayşegül Sırakaya  •  Dawid Bartelt  •   Zafer Yenal

09:15 - 09:45   Keynote Address

Themes: multiple values of nature, wellbeing and ecosystem services.

09:45 - 11:00   Session I  |  Knowing Biodiversity: Science, Values, Awareness and Politics

Moderator: Stuart Lucas, Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Sabancı University

11:00 - 11:15   Coffee break

11:15 - 12:30   Session II  |  Biodiversity in Practice: Species, Landscapes and Livelihoods

Moderator: Ogün Adebali, Molecular Biology, Genetics and Bioengineering, Sabancı University

12:30 - 13:15    Lunch

13:15 - 14:30    Session III  |  Governing Biodiversity: From Global Frameworks to Local Practice

The two afternoon governance sessions connect international debates on genetic resources, rights and global justice with national policies, local government initiatives and civil society practice.

Moderator: Sevil Acar, Department of Economics, Boğaziçi University

14:30 - 14:45    Coffee break

14:45 - 16:00    Session IV  |  Governmental and Civil Society Perspectives

Moderator: Nihal Öztolan Erol, Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Sabancı University

16:00 - 17:00    Closing Discussion  |  Beyond Conservation: Why Biodiversity Matters for Society

Moderator: Zafer Yenal, Istanbul Policy Center, Sabancı University

Participants will draw together the day’s main themes, reflect on connections, tensions and priorities, and discuss how biodiversity relates to climate resilience, food systems, wellbeing, social justice and sustainable development. The discussion will also consider priorities for future research, policy engagement and collaboration.

📍Sabanci University Istanbul Policy Center (IPC)
Prof. Dr. Fuat Keyman Toplantı Salonu Minerva Han, Bankalar Cad. No: 2, 34420 Karaköy, İstanbul