CAWR Newsletter

June 2023

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 equitable, sustainable and 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.

CAWR researchers visit Brazil

Francis Rayns and Barbara Smith in the saddle as they tour rice fields with Rovier Verdi and Leo Faedo

Julia Wright, Barbara Smith and Francis Rayns have recently made a visit to southern Brazil. The trip was organised by Dr Pedro Boff of Epagri, a company linked to the Government of the State of Santa Catarina. This was an opportunity to meet the networks of two post graduate researchers, Leo Faedo and Rovier Verdi, who recently completed Dual Award Degrees with Coventry University and Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina. Presentations were also made at the VII International Symposium on Science, Health and Territory. It is hoped that this visit will lead to new CAWR research collaborations.

The CAWR visitors hear about the use of cover crops on fields in southern Brazil

Policy Recommendations for Territorial Food Systems and Collaborative Short Supply Chains

COACH project partners released five policy briefs advocating for placing small farmers, short food supply chains and the right to food at the heart of food system transformation in Europe. The briefs highlight the costs and benefits of collaborative short food supply chains, and point to sustainable public procurement and free school meals sourced from small farmers as key ways to strengthen territorial food systems. Click here to read the briefs.

CAWR Italian Job Attracts Press Interest

The visit of two members of CAWR to a physics laboratory at the University of Genoa attracted the interest of the Italian regional press.

Ivan Kourtchev and Steve Coupe were at the laboratory to study harmful microplastics which have recently been found in drinking water in Lombardy.

Here is a link to the online article which, if you accept cookies, can be read, in translation, in English, alongside a photo of Ivan and Steve during their visit to the laboratory.

Publication Questions Interests of Scottish Government Agency Board Members

Iain MacKinnon published a focus article in the press this month which questions whether the interests of several members of the board of NatureScot, the Scottish Government's agency for nature conservation, are compatible with NatureScot's remit to develop a carbon market in Scotland.

The article, in the West Highland Free Press newspaper, was accompanied by a front page news story in which NatureScot denied there is any conflict of interest. NatureScot subsequently told the paper that they recognised 'the need to ensure transparency and keep conflicts of interest under constant review' and welcomed Iain's contribution to the debate.

The publication develops Iain's previous work on systemic power differentials in the governance of land and natural resources in Scotland.

Horticultural Enterprise and Innovations - Walnut Agroforestry in Warwickshire

Agroforestry (silvo-pasture) with sheep and walnut trees in Warwickshire

In May 2023, Ulrich attended a study day at ‘Warwickshire Walnuts & Trees’. The farm grows walnut, hickory and pecan nut species and invested in small-scale, on-farm processing and walnut oil pressing.

Specialist crops and processing requires horticultural research and innovation management (AGROMIX-project): grafting, irrigation, pruning, protecting trees from animals. If done professionally it is viable in English climate and grazing yields for sheep can retain 100% with light shade for animals. Ulrich’s verdict “let’s all eat more local nuts and only meat from free-range and agroforestry –agromix!

Omotola Wins Poster Prize at Royal Society of Chemistry Research Forum

Omotola with her prize certificate at the Royal Society of Chemistry event

Omotola Folorunsho, a CAWR PhD student, presented her research on developing a multiclass method for the simultaneous analysis of new and emerging pollutants in surface water at the Royal Society of Chemistry Analytical research forum in London on 8th June 2023.

This one-day event brought together UK researchers in analytical and bioanalytical science using various applications. Omotola was awarded the “Analyst” poster prize at the event. Huge congratulations to her!

CAWR take part in The Great Big Green Week

The Great Big Green Week is run by The Climate Coalition. It is the UK’s biggest ever celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. CAWR made a space for people to get involved in the Letters to Tomorrow campaign and held a book bring and take table.

The Researcher Film Maker: Using Film in Research  

In May researchers from CAWR delivered the second of a three part training programme examining the use of film in research commissioned by National Centre for Research Methods.

The Researcher Film maker, using film in research, is led by Geraldine Brown working with an interdisciplinary team that includes CAWR’s Liliane Binego and film maker Ben Cook. The training programme is designed to examine the use of film across all stages of the research process as a; form of data, outputs in which dialogue between researchers and participants are shared, and as a creative means of disseminating research results. The third programme will be delivered later this year.

Biochar: Miracle or Gimmick?

Donna Udall gave a talk to Regen Ag members, Carbon Calling, discussing the merits of biochar.  Biochar, like charcoal, results from pyrolysis of organic material and could be an option to give value to waste and store carbon in the soil.  But, should farmers deploy it as part of their carbon sequestration strategy? Watch the video to find out!!

Growing Connections’ Community Tree Nursery Pot-trials Attract Visitors

Liz Trenchard and visitors at the Growing Connections tree pot-trials site at CAWR (Photo by Sam Green)

CAWR’s Growing Connections project staff welcomed visitors from Norfolk County Council, the Tree Council and International Tree Foundation to meet together and see Growing Connections’ tree pot trials at Ryton Organic Gardens. The blossom was out on a few of the scions gathered from abandoned Coventry allotments grafted earlier this year.

COACH Partners Gather to Celebrate Successful Project Outcomes at Final Event

COACH project partners met in Brussels on 1st and 2nd June to share and celebrate key project results with close to 100 participants, including Brussels-based policy-makers and the Nyéléni Europe and Central Asia Food Sovereignty Network.

The event kicked off with a policy roundtable on recommendations for supporting small farmers, short food supply chains and the right to food in territorialised, democratic food systems across Europe. There was also a briefing on the costs and benefits of collaborative short food supply chains.  Through a series of lightning presentations, partners also showcased work accomplished in other inspiring areas for food system transformation, including intersectional, feminist approaches to food, collaboration through food policy councils and alternative grain economies.

Ecofeminism and Meat Substitutes: A Critical Discussion

AgroecologyNow has a new blog from Anouk Dijkman, student in CAWR’s MSc Programme of Agroecology, Water and Food Sovereignty, in which she applies a critical, ecofeminist lens to question narratives that promote modern meat substitutes as a solution to the climate crisis and injustices embedded in patriarchal, capitalist societies.  Click here to read the blog. The newsletter will be featuring another AgroecologyNow blog from a member of the MSc Programme in next month's edition.

Ash Die Back: Open Day to Discuss Trials for Reducing Disease Severity 

As part of her PhD researching the effects of sustainable soil amendments on the tree disease ash dieback, three years ago Ffion Thomas set up a field trial to assess the effects of biochar and willow woodchip added to the soil, to see if this helped reduce severity of ash dieback in young ash saplings. 

We will be holding an Open Day on 13 July 2023, from 10.00 - 15.00, at the trial site in Sussex to present initial findings and to show visitors around the site and the ash dieback field trial itself.

The day will be an opportunity to see the ash trees in the field, hear about our ash dieback research and also about other tree and biochar related research being carried out at CAWR, all in the beautiful surroundings of Sacred Earth in East Sussex, a small ancient woodland beside the river Cuckmere, and restored landscape of the old Horam Brickworks. 

The Open Day will include a light lunch and refreshments. As the trial site is very rural, suitable footwear should be worn. On-site facilities are very limited although there are sustainable compost loos.

Sacred Earth is located near Heathfield East Sussex, there is a small car park onsite, or parking in nearby Horam (a 15-minute walk away along the Cuckoo Trail), if required we may be able to organise pick-ups from local railway stations.

CAWR contribution to long term agricultural experimentation

Daneel standing next to the prize winning poster

Francis Rayns and Daneel du Preez attended a three day Association of Applied Biologists conference at Rothamsted Research: Long Term Experiments: Meeting Future Challenges. Daneel is a working towards a Dual Degree with Coventry and Stellenbosch universities and he presented a poster about his work (Long term tillage effects within a crop rotation system in a Mediterranean climate zone) for which he was awarded second prize in the conference competition.

AGROMIX at Farm Woodland Forum in Ireland

Dr Rodrigo Olave explaining AFBI Loughgall ash silvopasture long-term trial (Picture Ulrich Schmutz)

Both of the AGROMIX-project partners from Ireland, and all three from England, attended the Farm Woodland Forum in Northern Ireland (15th and 16th June 2023), at Greenmount Agricultural College.

Highlights were a visit to AFBI Loughgall ash silvopasture long-term trial and further experiments with free-range pig agroforestry and wild cherry silvopasture. Following oral and poster presentations, farm visits to Antrim included sycamore silvopasture and silvohorticulture for a farm shop, and a Dexter cattle system with ‘cactus guards’ and advanced shelterbelts to protect from coastal winds.

The next Farm Woodland Forum meeting will be organised jointly by Cranfield and Coventry universities (supported by AGROMIX) and held at Cranfield’s campus in England, June 2024.

CAWR PGR Presents at EnvChem 2023

Peter delivering his presentation at EnvChem

Peter Hollings attended the EnvChem 2023 conference held at the University of Glasgow on 1st and 2nd June which covers all aspects of environmental chemistry. Peter gave a 15-minute presentation on his PhD work titled “Assessing the Retention of New and Emerging Pollutants in Nature-Based Solutions by Online SPE LC-MS and µFTIR Microscopy” followed by questions from the audience.

Agroecology for Europe

Researchers from the AE4EU project, meeting with growers in Italy

CAWR researchers recently attended an AE4EU project meeting in northern Italy hosted by the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo. They presented work on mapping agroecology across the UK nations to inform future policy and also shared details of the Coventry Agroecology Living Lab with participants of a similar living lab scheme in Italy.

Garden Organic Seek Office Administration Volunteer for Ryton Gardens Office

Garden Organic are looking for an Office Administration Volunteer at their office in Ryton Gardens. They say they are looking for an outgoing, positive, team player to support the wider Garden Organic team in a variety of tasks from preparing materials needed for events, updating spreadsheets to basic reception duties. Training, expenses & membership will be included!

CAWR Researcher Leads Call for Papers on Biochar Production and Applications

Anna Bogush is co-editing a special collection on “Advances in Biochar Production and Applications” in the Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio) which has just launched its Call for Papers.

Biochar is regarded by many as a promising negative emissions technology and an important tool in the fight against climate change. It is formed by the pyrolysis of biomass under low-oxygen conditions, which generates a highly stable form of carbon, predicted to persist in the soil for hundreds to thousands of years. Due to its porous structure, extended surface area, and retention capacity, biochar has also been proposed as an efficient water and soil remediator, with potential benefits for crop production.

The impact of biochar is however still controversial. Studies have shown that its properties can be highly dependent on the type of originating biomass and production methods, suggesting it is possible to tailor biochar for different purposes. This collection aims to highlight the benefits and drawbacks of biochar and welcomes original research on biochar production and applications towards a sustainable environment. The call runs until 26th December this year.

Events

Catch up on our events and seminars by visiting our YouTube channel

Publications

Tornaghi C., McAllister G., Moeller N., Pedersen M. (2023), “Building Medicinal Agroecology: Conceptual grounding for healing of rifts”, Chapter 1, in Fiebrig I. N. (ed.), Medicinal Agroecology, CRC Press; pp3-16

McAllister, G., Bhatasara, S., Claeys, P., Howard, J., Lemke, S., MacKinnon, K., Moeller, N.I. (2023). Editorial: Participatory action research in a time of COVID and beyond. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. Volume 7.

Buratti-Donham J., Venn R., Schmutz U., & Migliorini P. (2023) Transforming food systems towards agroecology – a critical analysis of agroforestry and mixed farming policy in 19 European countries, Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 47:7, 1023-1051

Manuelian, C. L., Pozza, M., Franzoi, M., Righi, F., Schmutz, U., & De Marchi, M. (2023). Comparison of organic and conventional Italian cheeses chemical composition from parallel production. Journal of Dairy Science https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2022-22730

Black, D.; Wei, T.; Eaton, E.; Hunt, A.; Carey, J.; Schmutz, U.; He, B.; Roderick, I. (2023). Testing Food Waste Reduction Targets: Integrating Transition Scenarios with Macro-Valuation in an Urban Living Lab. Sustainability, 15, 6004. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15076004

Rachel Wynberg, Michel Pimbert, Nina Moeller, Georgina McAllister, Rachel Bezner Kerr, Jasber Singh, Million Belay & Mvuselelo Ngcoya (2023) Nature-Based Solutions and Agroecology: Business as Usual or an Opportunity for Transformative Change?, Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development,65:1, 15-22.

Félix, G.F. (2023). Agroecology and food sovereignty in the Caribbean: Insights from Cuba, Puerto Rico and Sint Maarten. Book chapter in Routledge Handbook of Latin America and the Environment. Routledge 

Bennett, J.E., Marandure, T., Hawkins, H-J., Mapiye, C., Palmer, A., Lemke, S., Wu, L. and Moradzadeh, M. (2023). A conceptual framework for understanding ecosystem trade-offs and synergies in communal rangeland systems. Ecosystem Services 61 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2023.101533

Kourtchev, I., Sebben, B., Bogush, A., Godoi, A., Godoi, R. (2023). Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in urban PM_2.5 samples from Curitiba, Brazil. Atmospheric Environment (309).

Yitbarek, T.W., Wilson, J.R.U., Dehnen-Schmutz, K., 2023. A governance framework for the design and evaluation of tree planting schemes. Forest Policy and Economics 152, 102980  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2023.102980

Green, S., Dehnen-Schmutz, K., Drakulic, J., Eschen, R., Orazio, C., Douma, J.C., Lundén, K., Colombari, F. and Jactel, H. (2023) Awareness, detection and management of new and emerging tree pests and pathogens in Europe: stakeholders’ perspectives. In: Jactel, H., Orazio, C., Robinet, C., Douma, J.C., Santini, A., Battisti, A., Branco, M., Seehausen, L. and Kenis, M. (eds) Conceptual and technical innovations to better manage invasions of alien pests and pathogens in forests. NeoBiota 84: 9-40   https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.84.95761

Winter K., Paytan A., Charlesworth S. and Fried, J. (2023). Solutions to waste management in informal settlements in South Africa. Open Access Government, 37, 1, 464-465. [Output from ESRC funded project 'Waste FEW ULL' - managing waste in the food-energy-water nexus using Urban Living Labs]