Reconciling Biodiversity Conservation with Agricultural Intensification: Challenges and Opportunities for India

India will surpass China as the world’s most populous country by 2050, with a projected population of 1.67 billion¹. Al-though the rate of population growth has decreased, the total fertility rate of 2.2 will keep India’s population growing for decades². The challenges posed by such increase in population to India’s food security, already under strain from land and resource scarcity, are enormous. Climate change and extreme weather events are already impacting agricultural production, disproportionately affecting vulnerable sections of society through higher food prices, lost livelihood opportunities, adverse health impacts and displacement.