CAWR Newsletter

October 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.

Organic Matters conference

CAWR researchers, Ulrich Schmutz, Francis Rayns, Margi Lennartsson, Dennis Touliatos and Judith Conroy attended the Organic Matters conference at Stretford Public Hall on 13th October where they participated in a number of sessions. The Organic-PLUS project led a workshop examining the contentious use of peat, non-organic fertility sources and their alternatives. As part of the FOOdIVERSE and Organic-PLUS projects, Ulrich Schmutz presented the Robust Potato Pledge, encouraging the wider use and promotion of potato cultivars bred to be resistant to blight (thus reducing pesticide use). Joint work between CAWR researchers and farmers also featured in a session led by the Innovative Farmers scheme. 

CAWR fellow's participation in 2021 VYT competition

Jhonny Ismael Bautista Quispe is a First year PhD student at CAWR. He competed in the 2021 Coventry University Visualise Your Thesis Competition (VYT) held in July-August 2021. Using a 60-second, eye-catching video, he summarised his research on the development of a portable handwashing station with sustainable on-site wastewater treatment for rural schools. Jhonny’s display was ranked 2nd place by the judging panel.

"Summarizing my research in 60 seconds was challenging but great to develop my creativity and visual communication skills. Through this competition, I have learnt several tools to easily transmit my research goals to wider audiences. I am confident this experience will help in my journey as a Doctoral student" – Jhonny Ismael Bautista Quispe

Click here to see the participants' submissions and winners.

Changing Landscapes Actioning Change 2O21 A report sharing key learning from Backbone CiC’s Symposium

In the UK, the lack of Black, Asian and Ethnic diversity is visible across the Environment Sector at all levels from accessing services, opportunities, volunteering, employment and board membership. In July 2021, Dr Geraldine Brown co-produced and provided an independent authentication for Backbone Community Interest Company Changing Landscapes - Actioning Change Symposium process. The symposium was designed to provide a ‘safe' space for open dialogue between Black, Asian and Ethnic representatives and the Outdoor and Nature Sector (The Sector2) to address the invisibility of Black Asian and Ethnic communities within the Outdoor and Nature Sector and the outdoors more generally to develop shared actions for changing the current landscape.

The CEO of Backbone CIC, Pammy Johal was invited to share key learning from the symposium at CAWR’s Black History Month seminar, Unlocking Nature, Race, Gender and Class.

Ecological Solidarity in the Kurdish Freedom Movement

Ecological Solidarity in the Kurdish Freedom Movement is a pioneering text that explores the ideas around social ecology and communalism in the evolving political structures of the Kurdish region. The book argues that the Kurdish ecological paradigm offers insights for global social movement debates on development and decolonization. Michel Pimbert contributed a chapter entitled Regenerating Kurdish Ecologies through Food Sovereignty, Agroecology and Economies of Care.

Citizen science in gardens

On 1st October, CAWR researchers attended a citizen science event organised by the charity Garden Organic. This follows a review of Garden Organic’s long-running Members’ Experiments scheme, compiled by CAWR researchers Francis Rayns and Margi Lennartsson. Also in attendance were Ulrich Schmutz, Judith Conroy and Katharina Dehnen-Schmutz who presented previous and current CAWR citizen science projects: Plant Alert, Check a Sweet Chestnut and Blooms for Bees. The meeting was an opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss research needs with a view to conducting future projects.

Agrobiodiversity in Short Food Supply Chains - producer survey

The Foodiverse project have begun a European audit of agrobiodiversity in short food supply chains. This audit will be completed by producers in Italy, Norway, Germany and Poland as well as the UK and should help us demonstrate how different supply chains facilitate or constrain biodiversity and resilience in food production.

Take part by completing/sharing our 20 minute producer survey!

The food-energy-water nexus: boundaries, processes, and the circular economy

Sue Charlesworth organised and chaired a Special Session at the RGS conference based on the WASTE FEW ULL project funded by the Belmont Forum under their Sustainable Urbanisation Global Initiative.  Project Title: Waste Food-Energy-Water Urban Living Labs: Mapping and Reducing Waste in the Food-Energy-Water Nexus ( https://wastefewull.weebly.com/)

There were 5 presentations at the conference:

1. Learning at the institutional liminality of transitions. Urban Living Labs as inter-boundary spaces of the FEW Nexus:  Richard Nunes, (University of Reading),  Jana Friend (Coventry University),  Ester dal Poz (Unicamp, Barzil), Kevin Winter (University of Cape Town, South Africa),  Dr Timo von Writh (DRIFT, Norway)

2. Modelling the urban FEW-nexus : approaches, problems and possibilities:  Marco Van De Wiel, Ali Parsa, Matt Johnston (Coventry University); Erika Francisco, Ester Dal Poz (University of Campinas, Brazil); Ian Roderick (Schumacher Institute, UK)

3. Residues from biomass thermal treatment and wastewater treatment plants as agricultural fertiliser: Nutrient harvesting from waste: Anna Bogush (Coventry University)

4. Valuation of inefficiencies in the food cycle – crossing the actor boundaries:  Ian Roderick (The Schumacher Institute), Daniel Black (Daniel Black + Associates | db+a), Taoyuan Wei (CICERO Center for International Climate Research)

5. São Paulo in Natura Lab - “OUR LAB IS THE NATURE” Ester Dal Poz from University of Campinas (Brazil)

Each of the presentations generated lively discussion with the 15-strong attendees. Associated with this session, is a Special Issue (SI) in the journal Sustainability with the same title as the RGS session and can be found under "Sustainable Water Management" in the journal. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2022.

The SI has 4 Editors: Professor Susanne Charlesworth, Dr Marco Van De Wiel, Dr Jana Fried (Coventry University), Dr. Richard Nunes (University of Reading)

Viva Success!

On October 18th, Gloria defended her PhD thesis entitled “Caring-with people and nature: Exploring social-ecologically just transformations through a lens of feminist and democratic caring”.

This project is a transdisciplinary collaboration between CAWR and the Welsh Government, which co-founded the PhD. Gloria is incredibly grateful to her supervisory team, made of Dr Alex Franklin and Dr Jana Fried, and to her Welsh Government’s collaborators for their great support throughout.

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

Pimbert, M.P. 2021.  Citizens’ Juries.  In: Patricia Leavy (Ed). Popularizing Scholarly Research: Working with Non-academic Stakeholders, Teams, and Communities. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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.

Mahdad, F., A. R. Bakhtiari, M. Moeinaddini and S. Charlesworth (2021) Seasonal occurrence, source apportionment, and cancer risk assessment of PAHs in the second largest international holy metropolitan: Mashhad, Iran. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16336-6

Call for papers

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

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.