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CAWR Newsletter
February 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.
‘Spaces of Possibility: communities and places in times of social and environmental uncertainty’ - submission deadline extended!
The RECOMS international confex (conference and exhibition), Spaces of Possibility: communities and places in times of social and environmental uncertainty’ incorporating traditional paper sessions, storytelling, creative workshops, plenaries, a policy roundtable and an interactive public exhibition is to take place on 7th - 11th June 2021 in various locations in the heart of Brussels. The event will offer various sessions and formats to enable discussion and interaction in relevant themes for which the call for contribution is now open. Check out the themes, see our updated statement on covid risk management planning, and submit your session ideas at the RECOMS' Confex website here.
The RECOMS project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 765389.
Sympoiethics within The Ecological Citizen
This month, the concept of Sympoiethics– a term that combines sym (with), poieisis (to make) and ethics – is explored within the Ecological Citizen journal. The article ‘Sympoiethics: For the Love of a Field’ is written by Miche Fabre Lewin and Flora Gathorne-Hardy, CAWR Artist Researchers in Residence, and can be accessed here.
Agroecology for Europe
Agroecology for Europe (AE4EU) officially kicked off online in the last week of January. Ulrich Schmutz, Sara Burbi, Angela Hilmi, Michel Pimbert and Lindy Binder will be leading on the work package identifying public and private funding sources for Agroecology in Europe, as well as providing a supporting role for the rest of the project.
The project feeds into a wider agenda of accelerating the transitions of farming systems towards a healthier food and farming sector for Europe. AE4EU is one of two Horizon 2020 projects that, along with SCAR (Steering Committee on Agricultural Research) and DG Agri (The European Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development), will help shape a new EU partnership for Agroecology.
AE4EU has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101000478
Invitation for ECR participation
Farming for Climate Justice is a CAWR collaboration with the Bio-Economy Chair at the University of Cape Town that emphasises the co-generation of socially inclusive research capable of transforming thinking and research practice for just food and farming systems. Funded by the British Council (Researcher Links Climate Challenge), the project will co-generate outputs for COP26 under the themes of adaptation and resilience, nature-based farming solutions, and agroecology financing.
The project team is inviting early career researchers (ECRs) from the UK and South Africa – from academia and civil society networks – to join us in a series of workshops and networking opportunities on intersecting topics. ECRs will be mentored to develop interdisciplinary research teams and collaborative action research proposals. Successful teams will win Challenge Prize funding to facilitate the co-production of knowledge with small-scale producers and other food system actors mobilising around, and exposed to ratcheting climate and biodiversity crises.
Applications to participate close on 11th April 2021. If you’re an ECR from the UK or South Africa, and would like to find out more please visit the website at Farming for Climate Justice.
Feature on BBC Radio 4 Farming Today on Agroecology
Donna Udall spoke on BBC Radio 4 Farming Today on what agroecology is. Click here to listen to the show. Please note this link expires on 2nd March 2021.
Qld Premier’s Award for Excellence
Professor Michael Warne is part of a team delivering the Paddock to Reef Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting Program that is part of the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan. This team has just been awarded a Qld Premier’s Award for Excellence. The award was presented at a function by the Premier on Wednesday 3 February.
The world-leading Paddock to Reef Integrated Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting Program promotes land management practices to improve water quality flowing to the Reef.
This innovative program brings together approximately 20 organisations and hundreds of people. Led by the Department of Environment and Science, it involves Australian and Queensland government agencies, industry bodies, regional Natural Resource Management bodies, landholders and research organisations.
The long-term monitoring, evaluation, reporting and improvement program, based on the best available scientific evidence, has expanded and improved over 10 years. The program integrates monitoring and modelling from the farm paddock to the Reef. It evaluates management practice adoption and effectiveness, catchment condition, pollutant run-off and marine condition.
The program tracks progress towards the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan. Results help determine the success of actions and guide investment priorities and future measures by identifying cost-effective approaches to improving water quality.
Reducing the plastic footprint of agriculture
The final outputs of the EIP-AGRI focus group 'Reducing the plastic footprint of agriculture' have just been published. These include five 'minipapers' aimed at farmers rather than an academic audience. Francis Rayns was a member of this group that comprised twenty European experts (researchers, farmers, advisors and representatives from the plastics industry). Two virtual meetings were held to discuss issues such as the key sources of plastic pollution, adverse effects on the environment, alternatives to their use and farm collection/ recycling. A particular focus of attention was the potential for biodegradable and biobased plastics to be used as replacements for petroleum derived materials such as polythene, a subject that is also being explored within the Organic-PLUS project.
Pesticide decision support tool
Professor Michael Warne gave a series of six half-day workshop explaining the Pesticide Decision Support Tool that he developed with Dr Peta. The workshops were given in the Herbert River region of north Queensland. The photo included hands-on illustrations of how pesticides can leach through the soil profile.
Two reports were also completed:
1. Warne MStJ, Neelamraju C, Strauss J, Smith RA, Turner RDR, Mann RM (2021) Development of a method for estimating the toxicity of pesticide mixtures and a Pesticide Risk Baseline for the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan. Report to the Queensland Department of Environment and Science for the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan. 250p.
2. Warne MStJ, Neelamraju C, Turner RDR, Mann RM. (2021) Determining the Current Pesticide Condition of Waterways that Discharge to the Great Barrier Reef. Report to the Queensland Department of Environment and Science for the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan. 43p.
Is organic food diversity the answer?
Researchers from Coventry University’s Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR), have been awarded £100,000 by Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs) as part of a project to analyse diversity in food supply chains, governance and cultures.
Read more of the press release here.
International women's day
International Women's Day is on March 8th and CAWR welcomed two small trees of the flower of International Women's Day, mimosa, last year in celebration, thanks to funding from CAWR. The two mimosa trees have grown well in CAWR colleagues' care. Here are the flowers blooming and scenting the corridor this year. Happy International Women's Day.
Small-scale farmers’ resilience during COVID-19 in Zimbabwe
How do small-scale farmers cope with lockdown-induced challenges during COVID-19, and how does this impact on their ability to produce and consume food?
A research team from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany, University of the Western Cape, South Africa, Hope Tariro Trust, Masvingo, Zimbabwe, and Stefanie Lemke from CAWR published a blog on “COVID-19 and small-scale farmers‘ resilience: growing and eating food during the pandemic in Masvingo, Zimbabwe”, on invitation by the Countryside and Community Research Institute, CCRI, at the University of Gloucestershire.
This blog is based on a larger study that engaged in participatory co-research with small-scale farmers from Cape Town, South Africa; Maputo, Mozambique; Masvingo, Zimbabwe; and the West Java and Toraja regions, Indonesia; including a total of 400 farmers across the five regions. Findings from the larger study were published recently in Sustainability and can be found here.
The COVID-19 web resource hosted by CCRI provides a vast collection of very useful publications, under “Global food security section”.
Remote Sensing
Charley Hill-Butler and Matthew Blackett have had a proposed Special Issue accepted in the journal Remote Sensing, entitled: "Contemporary Remote Sensing of Volcanic Activity". Calls are out and more details about submissions will be available shortly.
Welcome to Judy, a new Research Assistant
Judy Clavey will be working with Mark Tilzey on a project entitled: Valuing Hedgerows: Assessing the Potential Contribution of Hedgerows to UK Tree Restoration and Climate Targets (and other ecological/economic benefits) and the Socio-Economic Causes of Current (Mis)Management and Policy Neglect. The project will be using Cumbria as a case study. Judy comes to CAWR with a wealth of experience and knowledge gained from many years’ work as Ecologist with the Lake District National Park Authority.
Escape from Empire: Agroecological autonomy in European peripheries - seminar now on our YouTube channel
If you missed our seminar on Escape from Empire: Agroecological autonomy in European peripheries with Simon Popay, you can now catch up on our YouTube channel. Click here to head to 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
Investigating and designing low-cost vegetated drainage systems for storm water management in Nepal - application deadline 14th May 2021
Revival of indigenous agroforestry systems (chakras) for crisis resilience in the Ecuadorian Amazon: opportunities and challenges of gender, ethnicity and forest livelihoods - application deadline: 31st March 2021
When violence and natural disasters intersect – exploring the role of gender and agro-cultural artefacts in the promotion of equitable resilience and solidarity in rural Zimbabwe - application deadline: 31st March 2021
Understanding future impact of climate change on agricultural productivity and practices in northern Africa - application deadline: 18th June 2021
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
Abstract submission: 17th March 2021
Manuscript submission: 29th June 2021
Publications
Cornelis, G., Accinelli, C., Rayns, F., Fonteyene, K. & Miličić, V. (2021). Minipaper E: Secondary sources of plastic contamination. Output of the EIP-AGRI Focus Group Reducing the plastic footprint of agriculture.
Giambartolomei, G., Forno, F., & Sage, C. (2021). How food policies emerge: The pivotal role of policy entrepreneurs as brokers and bridges of people and ideas. Food Policy, 102038.
Rayns, F., Carranca, C., Miličić, V., Fonteyne, K., Peñalva, C., Hernandez, A., Pereira, R., Accinelli, C. & Zlatar, K. (2021). Minipaper C: New plastics in agriculture. Output of the EIP-AGRI Focus Group Reducing the plastic footprint of agriculture.
Pereira, R., Hernandez, A., James, B., LeMoine, B., Carranca, C., Rayns, F., Cornelis, G., Erälinna, L., Czech, L. & Picuno, P. (2021). Minipaper A: The actual uses of plastics in agriculture across EU: An overview and the environmental problems. Output of the EIP-AGRI Focus Group Reducing the plastic footprint of agriculture.
Pimbert, M.P. (2021) Regenerating Kurdish Ecologies through Food Sovereignty, Agroecology and Economies of Care. In: Stephen Hunt (Ed). Ecological Solidarity in the Kurdish Freedom Movement. Lexington Books (in press).
Tillmann, T. and M. Salas, (2021) The Transformative Power of Knowledge in Terraced Landscapes. Vegueta. Anuario de la Facultad de Geografía e Historia 21 (1), 2021, 267-301
