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CAWR Newsletter
May 2021
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.'
The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the contributors at the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Coventry University.
Research at Ryton Organic Gardens
"Lettuces raised in different growing media will be assessed to see how they grow once planted out"
CAWR researchers are working with the Coventry University grounds team at Ryton Organic Gardens to conduct practical trials as part of the Organic-PLUS project. The team are trialling growing media based on composted chipped wood that could be produced on site by vegetable growers. This would negate the need to import external inputs, in particular peat, which contributes to habitat degradation and climate change.
CAWR's National Plant Collection
CAWR hosts a Plant Heritage National Collection of cultivated varieties of spider plants 'Chlorophytum comosum', and Plant Heritage's new regional collections coordinator for Warwickshire, Andy Gladman, paid his first visit of the region's national plant collections, to inspect the spider plant collection in the greenhouse at CAWR.
He was interested to hear CAWR PhD student Peter Hollings introduce his experiments incorporating two of the varieties in bio remediation trials onsite. If you would like to use spider plants in your research, or become a spider plant guardian by keeping a plant of a named variety, please contact Samantha Green at ad2237@coventry.ac.uk
Andy Gladman will be visiting the site at Ryton Gardens to inspect the Heritage Seed Library collection later this summer
AGROMIX survey going live!
The benefits from nature - are you using them?
AGROMIX’s first survey is going live on Monday 24th May! We are hoping to get lots of responses from farmers all over Europe. If you are a farmer or know someone who is, PLEASE SHARE!
AGROMIX is a European Union funded project which focuses on practical agroecological solutions for farm and land management and related value chains.
Farming for Climate Justice - Webinar Event Series Underway
Our collaboration, funded by the British Council, with the University of Cape Town got underway with the first webinar on Agroecological Systems in the Face of Climate Disruption & Urbanisation. Bastian Deppois set the scene by introducing climate forecasting and adaptation scenarios; and Gareth Haysom from the African Centre for Cities (UCT) discussed its uneven impacts and pressures on urban farming systems.
The series continues with 'Nature-Based Solutions: Old Wine, New Bottles?' on Wed 26th May with a panel discussion between scholar-activists Rachel Wynberg (UCT), Michel Pimbert (CAWR), Jasber Singh (CAWR), Mvu Ngcoya (UKZN) and Million Belay (AFSA). The webinar series will then reach its conclusion on Wed 2nd June with a session by Nina Moeller and Vanessa Farr (UCT) on 'Resourcing Agroecology Towards Economies of Care and Justice. To find out more about this project, or to register for these upcoming events, please go to Farming for Climate Justice.
CAWR’s work on peat phase-out featured in The Conversation
Tomatoes raised in peat-free growing media
Following the government's announcement that it plans to ban peat from amateur horticulture by 2024, CAWR's Margi Lennartsson and David Bek of Coventry University's Research Centre for Business in Society (CBiS) have produced an article for The Conversation. This follows a body of recent work on ending peat use, including a report advising the industry, a recent Financial Times article and work on alternative peat-free growing media as part of the CAWR-led Organic-PLUS project.
A statement from AgroecologyNow! in solidarity with the Palestinian People
Gaza women's association preparing ka'ik (date rings) to celebrate Eid, shortly before the conflict began (source: GUPAP)
“In the end we will not remember the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends” Martin Luther King
As a collective of scholar-activists working with farmers and social movements in many regions around the world, including Palestine, AgroecologyNow! condemns the violent Israeli attacks on the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and within Israel. In this statement: we affirm our commitment to the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people and foundational principles of academic integrity; we stand with all family farmers, fishers and other small-scale artisan producers subjected to racist policies, eviction and repression, but particularly those in Gaza at this time; and we stand against those who are complicit with colonial settler oppression in attempting to silence those who raise their voices or those who stand by them in solidarity.
Advancing LCA to assess organic farming
Organic olives are one of the reference crops assessed by LCA
The CAWR-led Organic-PLUS project is progressing the use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools to make them more suited to assessing organic systems. Although LCA is an internationally recognised method for quantifying environmental impacts, it does not always convey the full story, particularly in terms of biodiversity. CAWR’s Catalonian partner, IRTA (Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology) conducted a recent webinar on improving the methodology which you can read more about here.
Social Justice, Citizen Empowerment and Stakeholder Engagement in Urban Food Strategies: Policy Roundtable and Launch of the RE-ADJUSTool
Concerned about food insecurity, access to land and resources for farmers and food initiatives or skewed power dynamics in our food system? You have ideas and examples of how to tackle such challenges in your city or region? Join us at this policy roundtable to hear from others who face and are working to resolve similar challenges, and to get a first glimpse of the RE-ADJUSTool (REflecting on & ADvancing Justice in Urban food Strategies Tool).
The event runs as part of the Spaces of Possibility confex.
For more information and to register, please click here.
Panel discussion on Implications of Climate Change on Agriculture
Dr Georges Félix participated in a panel discussion on the Implications of Climate Change on Agriculture. This event was held by the British Deputy High Commission and ISB-India in the context of Earth Day on 22nd April.
Pak choi in the Ryton polytunnel
Current organic certification schemes permit the use of animal manure from non-organic (but not intensive) farms. As part of the Organic-PLUS project, CAWR researchers are investigating solutions that are truer to the organic ethos and also suitable for vegan organic/stockfree systems. The pak choi pictured have been planted to examine the residual effects of plant derived fertilisers applied to the preceding tomato crop, including comfrey, nettles and legume meal.
Second SIMBIO Bioplastics Social Innovation Lab "Designing the System"
Join us on June 10th 2021 (9:30 AM - 11:30 AM GMT), at the Second SIMBIO Bioplastics Social Innovation Lab "Designing the System” to design how to unblock the bioplastic packaging supply chain.
We are delighted to announce that this event will include keynote addresses from Paul Thompson (REAL – Renewable Energy Assurance Limited) and Rob Whitehouse (Garden Organic) and it will be facilitated by member of Coventry University and Dr Dee Hennessy from Creative Exchange. At the event, we will evaluate current recommendations from the first social innovation lab to unblock the bioplastic packaging supply chain.
We also want to:
- expand on possible "solutions" that challenge the norms in bioplastic packaging
- identify promising solutions for rapid prototyping
- explore future pathways for improving the sustainable uptake of bioplastic packaging
Follow-up Innovation Labs - prototyping solutions - will be organised in August-September 2021.
Seeing the system Report: Findings from the first UK SIMBIO Social Innovation Lab: Click here to read more
The Coventry University team
The SIMBIO research team consists of Prof Benny Tjahjono, Dr Macarena Beltran, Dr Jordon Lazell, Dr David Bek from the Sustainable Production and Consumption cluster of the Centre for Business in Society and Dr Anna Bogush from the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience at Coventry University. The event will be assisted by PGRs.
Events
Catch up on our seminars from this month by visiting our YouTube channel
Natural Flood Management: our current understanding and future challenges with Tom Lavers
Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition: An introduction to the GODAN initiative with Kathryn Bailey and Suchith Anand
Studentships
Chemical analysis and bioaccumulation of ‘forever chemicals’ in aquatic organisms - This opportunity will remain open until a suitable candidate is identified
Understanding future impact of climate change on agricultural productivity and practices in northern Africa - application deadline: 18th June 2021
Publications
Beltran M., Tjahjono F., Bogush A., Julião J., Teixeira E.L.S. (2021) Food Plastic Packaging Transition towards Circular Bioeconomy: A Systematic Review of Literature. Sustainability, 13(7), 3896; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073896
Tjahjono B., Lazell J., Beltran M., Bek D., Bogush A. (2021) Seeing the system: Findingsfrom the first SIMBIO workshop, 4th of March 2021. In. Coventry: Coventry University, Centre for Business in Society (CBiS).https://www.simbioresearch.com/seeing-the-system-report-uk-report/
Funded Projects
Project title – „Covid-19 disposable face masks: source of microplastic fibres in the environment and science-based policy recommendation“, QR strategic priorities fund 2020-21: Research Activity in Support of Evidence-Based Policy Making, 2020-2021, PI – Dr Anna Bogush, Co-I – Mr Sam Towers.
Call for papers
Topic Editors: Dr Niall Burnside and Dr Jonathan Dale
Manuscript submission deadline: 30 September 2021
Special Issue "Surface Water Management: Recent Advances and Challenges"
Topic Editors: Prof Susanne Charlesworth, Dr Tom Lavers and Dr Craig Lashford
Manuscript submission deadline: 30 November 2021
Topic Editors: Stefanie Lemke, Priscilla Claeys, Nina Moeller and Georgina McAllister
Manuscript submission: 29th June 2021
Water Resources Resilience for Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
Special session: Water Security Challenges & Strategies in the 21st Century and Special session: Flooding and resilience against climate change
You are cordially invited to submit abstracts and subsequent full papers to the bi-annual Water Efficiency Conference organised by the Water Efficiency Network, The University of the West Indies and The Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago (APETT).
Abstract submission deadline: 30 November 2021
Contact: info@watefnetwork.co.uk for all conference, exhibition and sponsorship enquiries.
Topic Editors: Dr Anna Bogush, Dr Evi Viza and Dr Mariale Moreno
Call for papers in the Section 'Circular Economy' within the Journal Frontiers in Sustainability https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainability/sections/circular-economy
Call for papers at the Research Topic "Society and Education for Circular Economy and Sustainability" in the Section "Circular Economy" within the Journal Frontiers in Sustainability. https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/16921/society-and-education-for-circular-economy-and-sustainability
Call for papers in Special Issue "Advanced Materials in Environmental Chemistry" of Molecules journal (ISSN 1420-3049). https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/environmental_materials
