CAWR Newsletter

October 2018

Our monthly newsletters are an easy way to keep up-to-date with new developments at our research centre. From successful project bids to upcoming events, our newsletter informs you on how we are 'driving innovative transdisciplinary research on resilient food and water systems.'

News

Professor Michael Warne has published a report that describes in detail the method to be used to derive Australia & New Zealand water quality guidelines. You can view the report here. 

Jonathan Eden gave an invited talk on his continuing work in attributing extreme rainfall events to global warming at a Royal Meteorological Society meeting hosted by the University of Birmingham. Jonathan presented a conceptual overview of the changing nature of extreme events in a warming world and discussed the challenges in communicating risk to the media and general public. This included some results from his most recent paper on attributing small-scale rainfall events associated with summer thunderstorms.

The Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research (PAR) has developed an online compendium of methods for assessing agrobiodiversity. Drawing on experiences from around the world, the Compendium was created to support the documentation, co-creation and sharing of knowledge about diversity and its management. The Compendium provides guidelines for the collection and analysis of data about the diversity of crops, livestock, pollinators and harvested wild plants. Annelie Bernhart was consulting for PAR between 2015-2016 to produce drafts of the guidelines featured in the compendium and Barbara Smith contributed a methodology for the assessment of pollinator diversity. . To view this compendium please click here. 

Professor Michael Warne has been invited to review the soon to be released Technical Guidance Document (TGD) on the implementation of bioavailability-based environmental quality standards (EQS) for metals. This review is for the European Union as part of their ongoing work on their Water Framework Directive (WFD). 

Elise Wach wrote an article for The Conversation entilted 'Rise of the ‘megafarms’: how UK agriculture is being sold off and consolidated'. Click here to view the article. 

Research Studentships available

1. Dr Martin Wilkes has a research studentship available entitled 'Putting biodiversity back together: processes controlling the re-assembly of ecosystems' which will start in January 2019. The deadline for applications is 5th November so be quick! You can find out more about the studentship here.
2. Call for Applications:  Fully-funded Joint PhD programme Coventry University, U.K. and Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Project description: We invite applications for a 3.5 year fully-funded PhD which will be co-hosted by the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University and the Water Institute, Stellenbosch University. The successful candidate will be a full-time PhD student based for specific periods of time in the two institutions, but essentially conducting research on water in South Africa, and based out of Stellenbosch University. We encourage female, LGBT and particularly candidates from economically marginalised backgrounds in South Africa to apply.  

This studentship will investigate, evaluate and contribute to a critical understanding of water access and use among smallholder farmers in South Africa. The proposed scholarship draws from the observation that policy reforms in land and water governance and management to transform and reverse inequities from the past have largely failed to translate into practice. The central goal of this PhD proposal is to understand how the agency and capability of diverse smallholder farmers in South Africa aligns (or not) with reforms in land and water legislation and policy aimed at redressing past injustices. We are particularly interested in proposals that will pay attention to how race, ethnicity, class and gender intersect in the context of emerging smallholder farmers as well as proposals that demonstrate attention to understanding and unpacking institutional barriers and challenges to successfully implementing reform agendas and strategies.   

As part of your application, please submit the following:

- a two-page research proposal, spelling out the research question, conceptual framework, location and potential for impact (maximum 2 pages)

- a full CV

- a motivation letter demonstrating your interest and eligibility on the topic of the proposed research (maximum 1 page)

- the names of two referees (to be called upon should you be shortlisted)

- any further details on your research skills (list of publications)

- proof of English language proficiency.

Please submit the above documents as one email to the following persons no later than December 15, 2018 (1800 UK time); also address any queries to:

Dr Deepa Joshi at deepa.joshi@coventry.ac.uk and Dr Leanne Seeliger at leanne@leanneseeliger.com

What’s Eating Coventry – a new Film

This film creatively explores the issue of poverty, social justice and how people are eating in the city of Coventry. It also steps back and asks bigger questions about “What’s Eating Coventry” where the video makers link the problems in Coventry to issues related austerity and exploitation. The film explores some of the ways that communities are responding to the issue of hunger and food poverty, offering new insights and hope for the future. Produced by Coventry Men’s Shed as a part of the “Our Food” participatory video project convened by www.peoplesknowledge.org at CAWR and funded by the British Academy. This film, more information about the project and a trailer available for the Hull film is available here. 

Magic in a Movement: The Fight for a Just Food System in the USA (Personal Reflections)

The United States Food Sovereignty Alliance met from October 12-15 to advance the US movement for a more democratic, sustainable and just food system. Colin Anderson accompanied over 150 other participants from different corners of the country. The assembly involved a powerful combination of dialogue, strategising and planning. The energy was palpable and there is clearly something special afoot in this alliance. There is magic in this movement. Click here to read more reflections on this important movement.

Community buy-outs in the Scottish Highlands

As part of her PhD research, Gloria Giambartolomei  is involved in the Project Skyline, a feasibility study that is looking at the possibility of communities in the Welsh Valleys to manage their surrounding landscape. Representatives from the three communities (Treherbert, Caerau and Ynysowen) and part of the Skyline team went on a very inspiring 5 days trip to Kilfinan Community Woodland and North West Mull Community Woodland Company, two well established community woodland projects in Scotland, to see what lessons can be applied to South Wales.

CAWR’s work resonates with special issue on “Food Justice Scholar-Activism…” in ACME journal

The relationship between research and food justice/sovereignty is simultaneously fraught while also being full of potential. Sorting out how to best enable transformative and just research practices/praxis is an important area of work. This new special issue in the Journal ACME presents six new articles addressing these issues. Click here to find the links to these articles and a few related publications from people working in the People’s Knowledge group.

A “Community Supported Journal”​ worth Supporting on Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development

The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development (JAFSCD) is a community supported journal, free to read (online) and has a range of articles that will be of interest to anyone interested in research, organizing and activism related to efforts to create a more sustainable and just food system. This journal is a great resource and an important project to participate in and support. Click here to learn more about the reasons why.

Farmer organizations’ performance, equity, governance and negotiation -  BOND training of trainers

Following the Interregional Forum held in Cordoba, the EU BOND project gathered 20 young farmer leaders and trainers from 26 to 29 September 2018 for a Training of Trainers (ToT) on Farmer organizations’ performance, equity, governance and negotiation.

The ToT aimed to empower farmer leaders and managers to advance the scale and effectiveness of their organizations through improved bonding, bridging and linking capital. The participants, coming from 14 countries (namely Czech Republic, Greece, Bosnia Herzegovina, Moldova, Romania, Croatia, Albania, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Macedonia and Bulgaria), successfully engaged  in participatory learning activities, exchanged experiences and reflected on the values  and principles for their organizations as well as on the importance of building a shared vision.

Participants analyzed the dimensions of organizational performance and collectively formulated strategies to strengthen performance, equity and governance. They developed their own action plans to catalyse and support the potential for networking and improved performance within their own organizations and communities. Other topics discussed included the role of farmer organizations in being effective in providing services, as well as the importance of emotional intelligence, communication, negotiation and constructive dialogue for strengthening bonding, bridging and linking relations.

Agroecology in India

The Economic and Political Weekly (EPW) has just published its latest Review on Environment and Development which focuses on Agroecology in India. There are two contributions from CAWR: 

Professor Michel Pimbert - Global Status of Agroecology. A Perspective on Current Practices, Potential and Challenges.

Dr. Sagari Ramdas (Honorary Research Fellow) - Bovine Politics and Climate Justice.

Both articles and others included in this special issue of the peer reviewed Economic and Political Weekly are available here.

UN declaration on the rights of peasants adopted by the human rights council

On 28 September, member nations of the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution adopting a new UN Declaration for the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. The resolution was passed with 33 votes in favour, 11 abstentions and 3 against. The declaration, which recognises the right to land, seeds, biodiversity, local markets and food sovereignty will be up for voting and adoption by all Member States at  the United Nations General Assembly later this year. Once adopted, the UN Declaration will become a powerful tool for peasants and other people working in rural areas who seek justice and favourable policies around food, agriculture, seeds and land. As an academic involved in this process since the negotiations started in 2012, I am particularly thrilled with this legal and political victory. To read the declaration, click here.

Statement of Equity” by the Sustainable Agriculture Education Association 

This strong statement from SAEA expresses a commitment to confronting race, class, gender, ethnic, and other social inequalities in learning and education. This is a really useful concise tool to think about learning, pedagogical practice, power and equity and we plan to use this in our work in the People’s Knowledge group. It will also be a great resource in the classroom when we are teaching about the politics of knowledge and power-participation - for example in the MSc, our summer school or workshops which cover many of these issues. Click here for more details.

Heart of England Forests' vision

New planting, rides, and old woodland at Middle Spernal Farm – good spatial differentiation here!

On the 4th October Donna Udall attended a talk and walk given by Heart of England Head Forrester, Stephen Coffey. The Heart of England Forests’ vision is to create a broad-leaved woodland spanning 30,000 acres in Warwickshire and Worcestershire, but they also run their own organic farm and are currently developing agroforestry plans.  Craig Lashford already works with the HoEF and he, Ulrich Schmutz and Donna hope to develop some MSc project opportunities and bids with them in the coming months.

Special Issue on Agroecology Transitions-Transformations

Special Issue on Agroecology Transitions-Transformations. We are in the process of organising a special journal issue on Agroecology Transitions-Transformations. We are now recruiting authors and approaching journals. Please get in touch with ideas, proposals and questions. Contact Colin Anderson, Jahi Chappell and Michel Pimbert . Title and 200 word abstract due by December 1, 2018.Click here to see a full description.

Opening up Biodynamic Research

From 5th to 8th September, Julia Wright, Janus Bojesen Jensen (CAWR PhD student) and Saskia von Diest (CAWR /Stellenbosch Postdoctoral Research Fellow) journeyed to the headquarters of Biodynamic Agriculture near Basel, Switzerland, for the 1st International Conference on Biodynamic Research. This first event of its kind brought together 180 researchers and farmers from 26 countries to both explore and discuss biodynamic farming research issues and contribute to the development of a research agenda for further collaboration. All three of CAWR's representatives presented papers: Julia on "A call for  biodynamic agriculture to come out about the non-material world", Janus on "An exploration of the effects of meditation in regenerative agriculture - a case study of sustainable yogic agriculture", and Saskia on "What agroecology and biodynamic agriculture can learn from each other about intuitive farming". They are pictured with another UK colleague, Melissa Roussopoulos, who hosted a workshop on nature constellations.

Organic Norway and Nordvegans!

Dr Adrian Evans and Dr Ulrich Schmutz visited two research partners of Organic-PLUS in Norway. Firstly, NORSOK the Organic Research Centre and Organic Garden (see picture of garden) for Norway in Tingvoll on the Norwegian Fjord coast south of Trondheim. Secondly, in central Oslo the Consumer Research Institute (SIFO) at HIOA, University College of Applied Sciences in Oslo and Akerhus.

Both gave presentations on CAWR and the Organic-PLUS project at the two locations and exchanged ideas about research with a non-EU member country. It was interesting to find out how a non-EU country relates to EU regulation, e.g. the EU organic farming legislation. Within the next 4 years of the Organic-PLUS project will further investigate this. In addition, the research led by our partner SIFO is into understanding organic consumer attitudes to contentious inputs like peat, antibiotics and synthetic vitamins. But also asking now new diets trends like Nordvegans might affect organic consumption.

Art of Collaboration South Africa: Artful co-creation of a five year vision

‘’Art’ might not ultimately constitute a specialized profession but, rather, a heightened humanitarian attitude, or way of conducting one's life, in every realm of daily activity.’ Joseph Beuys, Artist, author and environmental activist.

Professor Michel Pimbert joined Miche Fabre Lewin and Flora Gathorne-Hardy in Stellenbosch for a week-long Art of Collaboration Alliance Gathering. The encounters included meetings with South African alliance partners from Sustainability Institute (SI), Centre for Complex Systems in Transition (CST) at the University of Stellenbosch, the SI Agroecology Academy, and the Biodynamic Agriculture Association of South Africa. Encounters with the land included SI Food Garden Community Lunch celebrating World Food day, and explorations with Angus Macintosh on Spier Biodynamic fields and Eric Swarts on his organic farm.

Image: (left) Community Lunch at the SI; walking the land with Angus Mcintosh at Spier Farm; conversations with Eric Swartz on his organic farm.

An invitation to choose an object to think-with was integral to focused conversations with alliance members on ‘what is the art of collaboration?’ The qualities, intentions and practical needs emerging from these diverse embodied exchanges were collected onto a Thinking Wall within the SI studio. Words from the transcribed conversations interspersed with images are being distilled into a shared proposal for Art of Collaboration as a five-year research exchange between Touchstones, CAWR, CST, SI and Spier.

Image: (left) Dr Rika Preiser thinking-with her chosen object; (centre) Michel in our SI studio engaging with Thinking Wall in process; (right) the Thinking Wall with clustered themes and elements ready to be mapped out into a Project Proposal for a five year research exchange.

Events

SEMINAR: Liberia Restoring Rural Livelihoods: Building Peace, Stability, and Resilience through Commercial Agriculture

 Akaii Lineberger & Molin Doelu

1st November 11:30-12:30

Live streamed via Facebook and recorded for our Youtube Channel

Click here to attend

SEMINAR: Modelling ≠ Modelling  (why modelling is useful, and when it is not)

Marco Van De Wiel

15th November 11:30-12:30

Live streamed via Facebook and recorded for our Youtube Channel

Click here to attend

Publications 

Levkoe, C. Z., Brem-Wilson, J., & Anderson, C. R. (2018). People, power, change: three pillars of a food sovereignty research praxis. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 1-24.

Abstract: The article is situated within debates on the role of academics within food sovereignty movements. Drawing on insights from a collective autoethnography, we report on our experiences conducting three food sovereignty research projects in different contexts and at different scales. We suggest that that the principles and practices of food sovereignty translate into a food sovereignty research praxis made up of three pillars. The article analyzes the extent to which we were able to embody these within our projects:

·         People (humanizing research relationships)

·         Power (equalizing power relations)

·         Change (pursuing transformative orientations

Maughan, C., Pedersen, R. L., & Pitt, H. (2018). The problems, promise and pragmatism of community food growing. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 1-5.