Animals & Biodiversity
Ending the systematic exploitation of non-human animals and their environments
Humans’ relationship with nature and fellow animals is critical: we are living the sixth mass extinction, climate change threatens all forms of life on a global scale, and an abysmal number of animals suffer terrible lives in factory farms, aquaculture facilities, laboratories and other captive environments. Continued industrialisation and the overexploitation of both domesticated animals and natural resources are not only unsustainable, they have stripped humans from their animality and animals from their selves and habitats. Abusive and harmful practices put the health of humans and other animals alike at great risk, and threaten the survival of wild animals’ communities, their cultures and their habitats. Fellow animals have personalities, forge relationships and have their own modes of social organisations and communication, that are disrupted by human activities in many ways. Our relationship with other animals and the rest of nature has to change.
As a result of this alarming situation and born out of our desire to provide viable solutions, the focus of the Animals & Biodiversity programme is to provide meaningful insights on animal studies from a global perspective, and influence policy-making to achieve interspecies justice and build a multi-species society by relying on our core values: equality, solidarity, compassion, and care. Our aim is to highlight the connections between various issues concerning Animals & Biodiversity, bringing together diverse academic fields such as Animal Law, Anthrozoology, Philosophy, Environmental Law, Animal Ethics, and Animal Welfare Science. We strive to adopt an anti-anthropocentric and intersectional approach that welcomes insights from critical race theory, disability studies, ecofeminism, post-colonial theory, and critical animal studies.
We provide updates on recent developments on Animals & Biodiversity through the publication of many resources, including recommended readings on topical issues, blog posts, working papers, information on upcoming events and current initiatives; and by organizing events such as roundtables, panel discussions, conversations, book talks, seminars and workshops. We disseminate information concerning these activities through Facebook and Twitter (@Animals_GRN). You can join the conversation by using the hashtag: #GRNAnimals_Biodiversity. Each of our monthly themes has a unique hashtag for more specific engagement. Follow us and stay tuned for Animals & Biodiversity!
FELLOWS
Dr. Tripathi is a dedicated biodiversity professional with over 11 years of cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary experience in the field of ecology and environment. He earned his Master of Science in Environmental Botany from the University of Mumbai and later pursued a PhD in Ecology & Environment from the University of Edinburgh, where his research focused on the biodiversity of African savanna woodlands and the impact of land use changes. Hemant has conducted field research and data analysis in numerous countries, including Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, India, and Scotland. Currently, he is a FoSTA Health Research Fellow at the University of Leeds, studying the effects of agriculture on human, animal, and environmental health in southern Africa using advanced technology and data analysis to understand species distribution and land use patterns. In addition to this fellowship, Hemant works as a GIS and Remote Sensing Specialist at Thryve.Earth, developing tools for analysing land use and deforestation risk. He is a co-founder of Dtime Limited, a data science company, helping to grow the search engine platform dtechtive.com.
Dr. Yoriko Otomo is the Director and Founder of the Global Research Network, and a Fellow at the Royal Society of Arts, a Research Associate at SOAS, Governor for the Network for International Law Students, member of the Global Animal Law Expert Group, and on the Board of Minding Animals International. She is a Series Editor for Anthem Press, on the editorial board of the Australian Feminist Law Journal, and an External Examiner for universities in the UK. Yoriko lives in England with her beloved partner, three sons, three hens and two cats.