CAWR Newsletter

February 2017

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 resilent food and water systems.'

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Join us for the summer!

We have four paid student internships open for applications.

Successful applicants can earn up to £2,000 from a 10 week internship starting on Monday 5th June 2017.

Applicants must be first or second year Coventry University undergraduates.

The following research projects are available:

A characterisation of differences between heritage and modern vegetable varieties in terms of pollinator rewards
Weed control through cover crops using a functional ecology approach
Assessing the environmental impact of Short Food Supply Chains in the UK
Blooms for Bees: identifying bedding plant alternatives to support bumblebees

The application deadline in 10th March.

For more Information click here

News

The wintry months are far from Chile for Martin

Martin Wilkes continues to work under the EU-funded KEEPFISH project with a recent four-month stay in Concepción, Chile. The aim of the trip was to generate new knowledge on how to better plan, design, construct and mitigate hydropower dams to ensure the conservation of aquatic biodiversity and fisheries. Martin and KEEPFISH partners from the UK, Denmark, New Zealand, Brazil and Chile held a stakeholder workshop and summer school attended by participants from academia, government agencies, hydropower generators and NGOs. The next step for the KEEPFISH project is to establish a formal advisory group on sustainable hydropower and a set of national guidelines for Chile.

Priscilla backs the right to food for rural working people

In January, Priscilla Claeys attended a meeting to discuss the situation of rural working people in Europe at the COHOM, the EU Council Working Party on Human Rights. The meeting was organised at the request of La Via Campesina and FIAN International, the human rights organisation that defends and promotes the right to food globally.

Priscilla's blog on this meeting was published by BMJ.

Read Priscilla's blog

CAWR present at the Oxford Real Farming Conference

Our Director, Michel Pimbert kicked proceedings off by chairing the first discussion 'Changing the productionist narrative'.

Chris Maughan and Colin Anderson both led a discussion on the launch of Landbase, the new initiative which facilitates courses and events for motivated land workers.

Dr. Luke Owen and PhD student Paola Guzman presented at a well-attended ORFC presentation in the session 'Agroecology: how do we measure its social impact?' on 5th January. Luke also chaired a lively discussion with a panel during this session on the work that CAWR have been doing in collaboration with the Real Farming Trust regarding measuring social impact in UK Agroecological enterprises.

Listen to 'Agroecology: how do we measure its social impact?'

Grassroots responses to food poverty in Coventry

The Coventry Food Justice Network have released a new report that identify five major aspects of food poverty that community organisations are tackling.

Read the report

CAWR collaborations in Senegal

Michel Pimbert (Director of CAWR) and PhD student Carla Kay recently travelled to Senegal to meet members of the Association Sénégalaise de Producteurs de Semences Paysannes (ASPSP – Senegalese Association of Peasant Seed Producers). Discussions were held around current projects between CAWR and the Senegalese and Malian partners, the next meeting in London for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Agroecology, and to discuss Carla's PhD project with ASPSP.

In Dioral, Carla was pictured (see left) with the women's group of ASPSP members, who can be seen in front of the granary that they had just built using the traditional Mandinka methods.

Projects

The start of 2017 has been successful with a number of projects being awarded.

Project: Brazil Zika

Funder: British Council

PI: Sue Charlesworth (Professor of Urban Physical Geography)

This project sets out to investigate the relationship between increased incidence of Zika and the lack of or adequate provision of a secure and safe portable water supply, drainage and sanitation.

Project: TRUE – (Transition paths to sustainable legume based systems in Europe)
Funder: H2020
Start: April 2017
PI: Barbara Smith (Senior Research Fellow, Agricultural Ecology & Public Science)
TRUE, with a 22 multi-actor consortium, has the aim of increasing legume production throughout Europe; it will investigate agronomic, environmental and social-economic impacts.

MSc in Agroecology and Food Security is of critical concern globally, and the development of food systems that provide food of high quality and quantity in a sustainable way, is now a research and policy priority. The MSc in Agroecology and Food Security is designed to equip professionals and graduates with the knowledge to critically analyse and assess the relationships between agroecological food production and management, farming systems, climate change economics and the environment. Former CAWR MSc student Ismail Rilwan has secured the post of Food Security and Livelihoods Officer with Action Against Hunger, Nigeria. He will be based in Borno State north eastern Nigeria, working as a part of the emergency response to the Boko Haram crises.

Study with us

Looking for financial help? NFU Mutual Charitable Trust are offering a centenary award for postgraduate courses in agriculture starting in Autumn 2017.

To find out more about the course or the centre:

Visit our website

Email us

Events

Location: Ryton Gardens, Coventry, CV8 3LG

To book your FREE place or for more information

March 23 Seminar

Bridging the gap: Integrating critical social and physical science in practice

Time: 11.30-12.30

March 30 Seminar

Toward a better understanding of southern African rainfall variability and their teleconnections

Time: 11.30-12.30

April 4 People's Knowledge Book Launch

Join us to launch the new book: Escaping the White-Walled Labyrinth

Time: 14:00-17:00

June 20-23 QUANTUM-Based AGRICULTURE for FARMERS

a 4-day workshop with Dr Patrick MacManaway

Book your place

Would you like to present at one of our CAWR seminars?

Email: CAWROffice@coventry.ac.uk

Invest in Seed Cooperative shares

The Seed Cooperative, the UK's new community-owned seed company, breeds open pollinated seeds that everyone can grow, everyone can save for the next year, and everyone can afford.

CAWR and Garden Organic staff have been involved in the establishment and ongoing management of the Cooperative.

Investing in shares will secure the Seed Nursery and the Cooperative for the future.

Start investing Here!

An exciting new era for CAWR

The start of 2017 saw the migration of CAWR staff based in the James Starley building to CAWR’s off-campus headquarters at Ryton, bringing the whole team together in the same premises for the first time since the Centre was established in 2014. The newly opened second wing at Ryton provides the growing team of researchers, students and support staff with additional office space, meeting rooms an editing suite and, very shortly, a suite of world-class laboratories. Watch this space for details of an opening ceremony to be held late Spring.

Centre for Agroecology Water and Resilience
Coventry University

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Coventry University

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