Professor Richard Pywell is Head of Biodiversity research at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. He manages a team of around 80 ecologists measuring the status and trends in biodiversity across the UK, and has 25 years experience working with practitioners and policymakers, balancing the need to produce food sustainably whilst addressing biodiversity declines. Richard led the Defra and Natural England-funded Hillesden Farm Research Platform – an early example of a ‘living farm lab’. He currently co-leads the AgZero+ programme – a government-funded, strategic research programme supporting the transition of UK farming towards net-zero emissions whilst addressing agricultural pollution and biodiversity declines.