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CAWR Newsletter
April 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
Julia Wright published an article in The Guardian 'Gene editing: don’t bet the farm on this pig in a poke'.
Michel Pimbert and CAWR Honorary Research Fellow Nina Moeller published an article on The Conversation 'We know how food production needs to change if crisis is to be avoided – so why isn’t this happening?'
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the EU Commission, and the Green Party Memebers of the European Parliamant organised a high level policy dialogue on Agroecology. Opportunities and challenges for European development policy, on 20 March 2018 at the European Parliament, Brussels. Professor Michel Pimbert represented CAWR and made a presentation on Development Aid for Agroecology: Lessons from the UK. He highlighted findings from recently published research on overseas aid funding for agroecology – see http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/2/505 The outcomes of this policy dialogue were used as an input to 2nd International Agroecology Symposium which took place a week later in Rome (Italy).
Jahi Chappell, Colin Anderson and Michel Pimbert participated in the 2nd International Agroecology Symposium of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome (3-5 April, 2018). The three-day Symposium brought together 700 policy-makers, agroecology practitioners, academics, and representatives from government, civil society, the private sector and UN agencies to discuss key elements and actions to support scaling up agroecology. On the final day, the Scaling-Up Initiative was launched. It aims to encourage more inclusive and holistic agroecology transition processes through tools, knowledge and policy processes for transformation of food and agricultural systems. More information and outcomes of the Symposium on Agroecology are available here.
Just Growth and Power To Change collaboration
Outputs from the Just Growth and Power to Change project, which aimed to assess the impact of small-scale agroecological businesses and food producing enterprises in England, have now been published.
Dr Luke Owen who has been working on the project said "We're now beginning to realise the vast range of social, ecological and economic impacts that small-scale agroecological enterprises are having across the UK".
Head over to their webpage to find out more.
EGU General Assembly
The EGU General Assembly is one of the largest geosciences conferences in the world with over 17000 presentations, in more than 650 sessions during a very busy 5 days. In total 15075 scientists from 106 countries participated at this conference, including Sue Charlesworth, Marco Van De Wiel and Moussa Sidibe.
Prof Sue Charlesworth gave a talk in which she proposed that sustainable surface water management is not just a modern innovation, showing evidence from antiquity that it was in use fairly extensively. Water-sensitive approaches were used in many cities in antiquity providing water for consumption, cleaning and washing, and to enhance agricultural production in order to improve food security. Politically, sustainable water management helped to maintain the balance of power and directly influenced the development and prosperity of entire civilisations either in times of peace or war.
Marco Van De Wiel presented recent research on “Comparing Landscape Evolution Simulations Using Taylor Diagrams”, in a session on The Essential Role of Concepts
and History in Earth Sciences. He also co-convened a session on Modelling Erosion and Sediment Production, Transport and Deposition Across Landscapes.
Moussa Sidibe said "It was an opportunity for me to learn from well-recognized scientists and showcase my research about modes of streamflow variability in western and central Africa (1950-2005), interactions with catchment properties and climatic teleconnections during an oral session".
Studentship Available!
Applications are open for a paid Royal Society of Biology Plant Health Undergraduate Studentship at CAWR to work with Katharina Dehnen-Schmutz on a project determining the diversity and abundance of host species of high risk pest and diseases of woody species in Britain. For details and applications click here.
Governing natural resources for food sovereignty: Research trip to Mali
Priscilla Claeys and Stefanie Lemke undertook an inspiring scoping visit to Mali for a project funded by the 11th Hour (Agroecology Fund). They met research partners involved in the elaboration and implementation of the newly adopted Agricultural Land Law and attended a meeting of 500 smallholder farmers in Segou, where the new law was introduced and challenges discussed.
Graduation Week
The sun was shining during Graduation week, which saw Katie Hartless-Rose receive her PhD, which was very well deserved!
Katie is pictured left with her three supervisors.
From everyone at CAWR, we wish Katie the best of luck in the future!
Focus on: Jonathan Eden
Ever wondered what our researchers get up to?
Jonathan Eden is our first researcher in the spotlight!
Find out how Jonathan's work relates to current world affairs by clicking the link below.
New MSc course for postgraduate students
CAWR are launching a new MSc course for September 2018 intake and you could join us. Updates are coming thick and fast so keep checking back on our website for how to apply and key dates for your diary.
Publications
Adam-Bradford, A. and Gebrezgabher, S. (2018) ‘Briquettes from municipal solid waste (COOCEN, Kigali, Rwanda)’. In Otoo, M. and Drechsel, P. (eds.) Resource Recovery from Waste: Business Models for Energy, Nutrient and Water Reuse in Low- and Middle-income Countries. Routledge, New York, pp. 61-71.
Adam-Bradford, A., Otto, M. and Hope, L. (2018) ‘Fecal sludge to nutrient-rich compost from public toilets (Rwanda Environment Care, Rwanda)’. In Otoo, M. and Drechsel, P. (eds.) Resource Recovery from Waste: Business Models for Energy, Nutrient and Water Reuse in Low- and Middle-income Countries. Routledge, New York, pp. 487-495.
Christiansen, B., Alvarez-Castro, C., Christidis, N., Ciaverella, A., Colfescu, I., Cowan, T., Eden, J.M., Hauser, M., Hempelmann, N., Klehmet, K., Lott, F., Nangini , C., Oldenborgh, G.J. van, Orth, R., Stott, P., Tett, S., Vautard, R., Wilcox, L., and Yiou, P. (2018). Was the cold European winter 2009-2010 modified by anthropogenic climate change? An attribution study, J. Climate, 31, 3387-3410.
González-Méndez, R.; Watts, P.; Reich, D. F.; Mullock, S. J.; Cairns, S.; Hickey, P.; Brookes, M.; Mayhew, C. A., 2018 Use of Rapid Reduced Electric Field Switching to Enhance Compound Specificity for Proton Transfer Reaction-Mass Spectrometry. Analytical Chemistry. In press.
R. Huggins, R. Wallace, D. N. Orr, B. Thomson, R. A. Smith, C. Taylor , O. King, R. Gardiner, S. Wallace, B. Ferguson, S. Preston, S. Simpson, J. Shanks, M. St. J. Warne, R. D. R. Turner, R. M. Mann. 2017. Total suspended solids, nutrient and pesticide loads (2015–2016) for rivers that discharge to the Great Barrier Reef – Great Barrier Reef Catchment Loads Monitoring Program. Department of Environment and Science. Brisbane.
Rousseau, Y.Y, Biron, P.E., Van De Wiel, M.J., 2018. Comparing the sensitivity of bank retreat to changes in biophysical conditions between two contrasting river reaches using a coupled morphodynamic model. Water, 10, 518.
Schaffelke, B., Fabricius, K., Kroon, F., Brodie, J., De'ath, G., Shaw, R., Tarte, D., Warne, M. and Thorburn, P., 2018. Support for improved quality control but misplaced criticism of GBR science. Reply to viewpoint “The need for a formalised system of Quality Control for environmental policy-science” by P. Larcombe and P. Ridd (Marine Pollution Bulletin 126: 449–461, 2018). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 129(1), pp.357-363.
Wilkes, M., Baumgartner, L., Boys, C., Silva, L.G., O'Connor, J., Jones, M., Stuart, I., Habit, E., Link, O. and Webb, J.A., 2018 Fish‐Net: Probabilistic models for fishway planning, design and monitoring to support environmentally sustainable hydropower. Fish and Fisheries.
Seminars
Expand your knowledge by attending one our fortnightly seminars with both national and international speakers.
The Centre's lunchtime seminars provide a lively discussion forum that is open to anyone to attend, including Coventry University staff and students, visiting associates and practioners.
All seminars are held at CAWR Ryton Organic Gardens (CV8 3LG) between 11.30am - 12.30pm. (unless specified otherwise).
A free shuttle bus service is available from Coventry University to Ryton Organic Gardens. Please contact CAWRoffice for more details. There is also free parking on site.
If you would like to attend, please register your interest using the links below.
To view our previous seminars, head to our Youtube channel!
The views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the presenter and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR).
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The social , health and educational impact of biodynamic ecology in the context of SEN
3rd May 14:00-15:00 Berni Courts
Click here to book a place.
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Doing Radical Human Ecology: Reconciling Academia and Activism
25th May 11:30-12:30 Alastair McIntosh
Click here to book a place.
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Events
Food, Health and Community: Can't we do it ourselves?
27th April 12-2pm Henley Green Community Centre
Event for parents, carers and pre-school children. Lunch and activities provided.
To register, please contact us at s.a.greenway@warwick.ac.uk
Food, Health and Community: Can't we do it ourselves?
22nd May 12-2pm Moat House Leisure and Neighbourhood Centre
Memories of food, health and community. Lunch and friendly conversation.
To register, please contact us at s.a.greenway@warwick.ac.uk
Food, Health and Community: Can't we do it ourselves?
19th June 12-2pm Moat House Leisure and Neighbourhood Centre
All participants invited to a celebration at which we will display the art work that we’ve created together. Lunch and entertainment provided.
To register, please contact us at s.a.greenway@warwick.ac.uk
Brookside Permaculture Design Course
19th May - 2nd June 2018, Brookside Farm, Warwickshire
Click here for more information
CALL FOR PAPERS: AESOP "Towards Sustainable City Region Food Systems: closing the gap between theory and practice" 28-30th June 2018, Torino, Italy
Click here for more information
