Barbara Smith

Dr. Barbara Smith is an Associate Professor at Coventry University's Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, and Associate Director of the Centre for Pollination Studies at Calcutta University. She chairs the Agricultural Ecology Special Interest Group of the British Ecological Society. Her research focuses on agroecology, farmland ecology, pollination, and ecosystem services, with a particular emphasis on mitigating the impacts of agricultural intensification. She has extensive experience in habitat restoration, stakeholder collaboration, and policy engagement, including work in India with farmers and policymakers.

Key research areas include biodiversity management, restoration ecology, and the integration of local knowledge systems. She leads projects like the 'TRansition to sUs' initiative (2017–2021), exploring sustainable legume-based food systems. Her work spans Europe and India, emphasizing transdisciplinary approaches to sustainable agriculture. Dr. Smith has collaborated widely, publishing over 40 articles and contributing to policy dialogues on biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Her recent publications address topics like automobility's environmental impact, polycultural cropping systems, and prescribed burning in heathland management. She actively participates in conferences and advisory roles, such as the UK-India Agricultural Ecology Initiative. Her vision is to advance agro-ecological evidence for equitable and productive food systems while preserving biodiversity.