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CAWR Newsletter
July 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.
Transformation domains for food sovereignty: proposals for action
A presentation given in Spanish at the International Conference on Andean Terraces in the context of modernity – theme on ‘Terraced Landscapes for Food Sovereignty’.
Pimbert’s talk focuses on systemic changes and highlights interrelated areas of transformation for agroecology and food sovereignty (ecological, political, economic, and spiritual).
YouTube link here CAWR talk from 1.35.31 to 1.56.54 followed by questions and answers from 1.56.55 to 2.22.47 as well comments by Timmi Tilmann who is an Honorary Research Fellow in CAWR.
Touring vegan organic farms across the UK
This summer Dr Dennis Touliatos has been visiting and interviewing vegan organic growers (a.k.a veganic or stock free) across the UK as part of the Organic-PLUS team’s efforts to identify pathways to phase out contentious inputs from organic horticulture.
Vegan organic growers use elegant, plant-based approaches (i.e. legumes, green manures, and compost) to build soil fertility from the bottom-up.
These approaches obviate the need for external inputs, such as animal manure and fertilisers.
Dennis will feed in the interview data into RISE: a modelling software used by agronomists to assess the economic, social and environmental sustainability performance of agricultural production at the farm level. Using the RISE methodology, the potential and practicalities of vegan organic horticulture will be compared against other organic and conventional growing systems.
The Stories We Trust: Regulating Genome Edited Organisms
In ongoing discussions about the regulation of genome edited organisms in the UK and the EU, existing regulation to prevent harm to human and planetary health is often portrayed as the ‘bad guy’ trying to curb progress. What if we look at GMO-regulation in a different way? How to think of and design policy frameworks of care that support people- and earth-centred or agroecological processes of change?
As part of the AgroecologyNow! Agroecology-in-Motion column, Barbara Van Dyck unpacks the narratives that underpin corporate campaigns to deregulate new technologies of genetic engineering.
Full article linked here
Ffion Thomas at Treescapes2021 conference
Ffion Thomas attended the online Treescapes2021 conference from 6-8 July. She gave a virtual poster presentation on the effects of soil health on ash dieback disease and attended a session where people could view the poster and ask questions. Ffion's poster won the prize for best poster in the category "Future Proofing Forested Landscapes", which was one of three themes, the others being releasing forestry's potential and research and practice in forestry.
Composting trial at Ryton
Following tree maintenance carried out at Ryton Organic Gardens, CAWR researchers are using the resulting chipped wood for their trials of peat-free growing media. As well as eliminating the use of peat which degrades important habitat and releases CO2, the Organic-PLUS project is seeking on-farm solutions which enable growers to avoid external inputs altogether. Composted chipped wood is already under investigation by the team but this new trial will examine the effects of added plant materials on the composting process and quality of the product.
FemaleINSPIRES project and news
FemaleINSPIRES stands for International Network and Support Platform for Interdisciplinary Research Engineers and Scientists, and is a project created to serve as an online platform and community of practice. It also aims to support female early career researchers by providing opportunities for personal and professional development. The project brings together female STEM researchers from seven countries: UK, Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, Indonesia, Egypt and Kazakhstan.
The first workshop was organised by University of the West of Scotland and CAWR (Coventry University) on 15th July 2021, and included Introductions and General Overview of the project; information about FemaleINSPIRES website & survey; Presentations of female PhD students and ECRs; Focus group & discussion.
Female INSPIRES 1st Newsletter – our first newsletter is ready, and we would like it to reach as many Early Career Researchers, STEM students and academics as possible. Please subscribe to our newsletter and share it with your networks. The newsletter can be accessed here: https://tinyurl.com/FemaleInspiresNewsletter
Tell your story (Digital mosaic) – We would like to invite all our amazing partners and women in STEM to share their stories and be part of our Female INSPIRES digital mosaic. All you have to do is to complete our online form here ( https://femaleinspires.com/community/submit/ ) and attach your photo (part of the form). Also, it would be great is you could encourage other amazing women in your networks to join our Female INSPIRES community
Connect to FemaleINSPIRES:
Power to the Elites? Multistakeholderism and the UN Food Systems Summit
Multistakeholder processes are increasingly visible across food systems governance, and are at the heart of how the UN Food System Summit (UNFSS) is organized. But what is multistakeholder governance? Whose interests does this form of governance represent and promote? And how?
In this video Priscilla Claeys and Jessica Duncan explain the concept of multistakeholderism and how it undermines people’s participation in the UNFSS.
Click here to learn more.
Welcome Richard!
Dr Richard Collins has joined CAWR as our new Head Laboratory Technician on 20th July 2021.
Dr Richard Collins completed a BSc(Hons) in Biological Sciences, an MRes in Environmental Sciences, and a PhD studying the effects of mother plant nutrition on the calcium and potassium content and resultant salinity tolerance of Brassica rapa seed under Prof. Phil Harris. He has worked for Coventry University under the School of Science and Environment and Faculty of Health and Life Sciences prior to joining CAWR and has supported laboratory based undergraduate and postgraduate environmental student projects throughout this time. His work has taken him from field sampling and experimental design to troubleshooting and method developing analytical instrumentation. In his spare time, he is a keen amateur gardener, enjoy a renovation project, classic cars and perhaps get too excited at the technicalities of motor racing.
Events
Catch up on our events and seminars from this month by visiting our YouTube channel
Studentships
Chemical analysis and bioaccumulation of ‘forever chemicals’ in aquatic organisms - This opportunity will remain open until a suitable candidate is identified
Publications
Du T., Bogush A., Edwards P., Stanley P., Campos L.C. Algae bioaccumulation capacity for metals in acid mine drainage (AMD): a case study in Frongoch Mine, the UK. International Mine Water Association Congress 2021 (IMWA2021), 12th-15th July 2021.
Beltran M., Lazell J., Tjahjono B., Bek D., Bogush A. (2021) The 2nd UK SIMBIO Social Innovation lab – Designing Solutions. Coventry University Research Blog (CURB). http://blogs.coventry.ac.uk/researchblog/the-2nd-uk-simbio-social-innovation-lab-designing-solutions/
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.
Call for papers in the special issue “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 the Section “Circular Economy” within the Journal Frontiers in Sustainability https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainability/sections/circular-economy
the special issue "Innovation, Enterprise and Circular Economy" with international Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (MDPI), https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph/special_issues/enterprise_circular_economy
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
