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CAWR Newsletter
December 2024
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.
Moya Kneafsey - Centre Director of CAWR
As the year draws to a close, it’s a time of reflection as we look back on the often-hectic weeks and months behind us. It’s been a busy year at CAWR, with our staff and postgraduate researchers working hard with our partners to deliver many exciting projects and publications. It is wonderful to see this work generating real-world impacts to support more sustainable, equitable and resilient food and water systems locally and internationally. As we wind down for our winter break at CAWR, I’d like to thank everyone for all their contributions, including all our newsletter readers for following our work, and on behalf of CAWR offer our very best wishes for the season and the new year to come.
PhD students, (L-R) Shurti Vispute and Emma Burnett
CAWR PhD Graduations
In November CAWR PhD students celebrated their graduations:
Emma Burnett The roles of competition, cooperation, and self-organisation in local agri-food systems in the UK & Germany
The supervisory team consisted of Moya Kneafsey, Dr. Lopa Saxena, Dr. Luke Owen (formerly of CAWR)
Shurti Vispute Beyond Belonging: Understanding Environmental Justice, Social Movements around Water and Emotions in Dzongu in Sikkim, India
The Supervisory team consisted of Jasber Singh, Adrian Evans (Shurti’s second supervisor), Marco Van De Wiel and Deepa Joshi who were also part of the supervisory team early on in Shruti’s PhD journey.
Congratulations to both.
CAWR Msc Graduations (cohort 2023)
Group photo outside the Coventry Cathedral
In November our MSc 2023 cohort celebrated their graduations.
Congratulations to you all.
From left to right: Imelda Gervas, Felister Mombo, Philipo Abihudi and Sayuni Mariki
Visiting researchers from Sokoine University of Agriculture
CAWR is hosting five visiting academics from Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) as part of the UNDERTEES project secondment scheme. Led by Felister Mombo, the team includes Imelda Gervas, Philipo Abihudi, Qambemeda Nyanghura, and Sayuni Mariki.
MSc student visit to Brookside Farm in Warwickshire
Brookside Farm swale number one
Our MSc students got an extra field session as part of the Resilient Food and Water Systems module. The students were guided around Brookside farm water reticulation system by Jay Abrahams, of Biologic Design, the designer of that system and a CAWR PhD student. This ecologically focused site takes all the rainwater and wastewater, passing it through 7 connecting swales for cleaning, before discharging to the local stream. Brookside is now 8 years old and supports productive willow stands, apple and walnut trees, a blueberry crop and a wide variety of intentionally added and self-seeded plants, providing habitat for insects, frogs, herons, small mammals and buzzards. Despite the cold weather, our students enjoyed hearing Jay talk about his philosophy of working with nature, to disconnect from an overloaded flood prone water network, and use water positively, for useful products and the good of people and planet.
Brussels lit up for Christmas
‘Mixedness in European Agriculture - hot topics for policy makers’ - Brussels
Dr. Ulrich Schmutz and Rosemary Venn from AGROMIX collaborate with ‘sister’ project MIXED for their policy workshop alongside other high-level experts from academia, the European Commission, NGO's, and farmers organisations.
AGROMIX’s set of policy recommendations for Transforming the European Food System was included in discussions and future collaborations discussed!
Professor Tommy Dalgaad, Aarhus University, leading policy workshop on diversified, mixed farming systems
Sharing resources in Coventry
Marc and Greg harvesting willow to be used in festive craft-making
Marc Hammond and Greg Muldoon from Food Union joined CAWR researcher Judith Conroy at Ryton Organic Gardens to harvest willow for a festive crafts workshop in Coventry city centre. One outcome of the Coventry Agroecological Living Lab, CALL (started by CAWR in 2023 as part of the AE4EU project) has been increased collaboration and resource-sharing between the groups involved. Food Union is a social activism organisation that brings people together around the joy of growing food; they are also planting redcurrants and blackcurrants propagated from 5 Acre Community Farm by the Coventry University Grounds Team apprentices as part of their training.
We look forward to growing these relationships in 2025.
Staff and volunteers from Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and Liz Trenchard, (Growing Connections, CU) and planted apple trees
CAWR’s Coventry apple trees planted in National Tree Week
Ten local Coventry apple trees grafted by Coventry Tree Wardens as part of Growing Connections project’s pilot community tree nursery, were requested by Coventry City Council ecologists and planted in an old orchard area at Coventry’s Lake View Park, with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust team, volunteers and CAWR’s Growing Connections project researchers.
Growing Connections project investigates the potential of alternative, more agroecological approaches to tree production in which many small community tree nurseries produce a diverse range of locally sourced, locally adapted trees.
CAWR researchers at water innovation meeting in Almeria, Spain
Participants at the REWAISE General Assembly in Almeria, Spain
From the 23rd to 25th of October, CAWR researchers Dr Adrian Evans and Dr Jana Fried participated in the General Assembly of REWAISE, a Horizon 2020-funded research project on Resilient Water Innovation for Smart Economy. There, Jana and Adrian were running a Living Lab-centred policy workshop for all participants. The workshop identified key water policy-relevant innovations within each of the four REWAISE Living Labs in Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK that – over the next few months – will be translated into Policy Briefs.
Gathering greenery and taking time to enjoy nature in December
Midwinter crafts at Ryton
On 9th December, CAWR and the Coventry University Grounds Team came together to make natural seasonal decorations at Ryton Organic Gardens. With the days continuing to shorten towards the winter solstice, we took the opportunity to be outdoors and gather greenery to cheer our indoors surroundings. Many traditional celebrations and religious festivals are rooted the seasons, with midwinter ceremonies reminding us that the light will soon return and spring will follow.
Colleagues used willow to weave wreaths and added evergreens such as holly, ivy and yew. This was a great opportunity to spend some time together, learn traditional crafts and appreciate our surroundings at Ryton. Read more on the PLANET4B website.
Wicked Leeks on peat
Lettuces grown in blocks and planted out at Riverford’s farm in Devon
CAWR’s work with Riverford Organic Farmers on phasing out peat continues. In a new Wicked Leeks article, Hope for a peat-free future, Riverford project lead Rebecca Bragg discusses the positive progress we have made to find and develop viable, sustainable alternatives to peat for pressed blocks. The article gives a great overview of our work with industry partners to produce various trial mixes and put them through their paces in the real world.
Riverford have also produced a new video update on our work and you can find out more about the project and see the previous videos here.
Events
Wednesday 15th January - Wildlife Gardening Virtual Symposium - To find out more and to register your attendance see here.
Catch up on our events and seminars by visiting our YouTube channel
Publications
REDDY, MASSEI, JARDANI, DIEPPOIS et al. (2024) Training deep learning models with a multi-station approach and static aquifer attributes for groundwater level simulation: what’s the best way to leverage regionalised information? HESS. In-press, preprint available at https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-794
DIOP, TRAMBLAY, BODIAN, EKOLU, ROUCHE, DIEPPOIS (2024) Flood frequency analysis in West Africa. Journal of Flood Risk Management. In-press.
BAULON, FOSSA, MASSEI, FLIPO, GALLOIS, FOURNIER, DIEPPOIS, et al. (2024) Sensitivity of groundwater levels to low-frequency climate variability in a large watershed. Sci. Total Environ. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177636
MIRGOL, DIEPPOIS, et al. (2024) Future changes in agrometeorological extremes in the southern Mediterranean region: when and where will they affect croplands and wheatlands? Agric. For. Meteorol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2024.110232
YANG, FOK, DIEPPOIS, et al. (2024) Examining relations between sea-level anomalies in the Nino3.4 region and terrestrial hydroclimatic conditions in China. J. Hydrol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.131942
Yitbarek, TW, Wilson, JRU, Dehnen-Schmutz, K (2025): An assessment of tree planting schemes in Ethiopia: schemes that adhere to guidelines on good governance are more effective. Journal of Environmental Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123475
Milgroom, J., Brem-Wilson, J. (2024) Opinion: How informal policies of care shape agroecological food systems. Rooted Magazine: Issue 1 on Policies for Agroecology. Open access
Kiss, C., Binder, L. (2024) Public procurement powering agroecological transformation in Europe. Rooted Magazine: Issue 1 on Policies for Agroecology. Open access
Faedo, L., Matias, C., Verdi, R., Wright, J., Rayns, F., Kretzschmar, A., & Boff, P. (2024). The use of mineral dynamised high dilutions for natural plant biostimulation; effects on plant growth, crop production, fruit quality, pest and disease incidence in agroecological strawberry cultivation. Biological Agriculture & Horticulture, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/01448765.2024.2396894
Novoa, A., Vimercati, G., Brundu, G., Richardson, D. M.,..Dehnen-Schmutz, K. … Weldesemaet, Y.T…. & Wilson, J. R. (2024). Stakeholders' views on the global guidelines for the sustainable use of non‐native trees. People and Nature 6: 1640-1654. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10670
Monerie, P.-A., Dieppois, B., Pohl, B., & Crétat, J. (2024). Internally driven variability of the Angola low is the main source of uncertainty for the future changes in southern African precipitation. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 129, e2024JD041255. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JD041255
Pandamkulangara Kizhakkethil, J., Shi, Z., Bogush, A., & Kourtchev, I. (2024). Aerosolisation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during aeration of contaminated aqueous solutions. Atmospheric Environment, 120716. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2024.120716
Chiara Tornaghi, Michiel Dehaene (2024), AGROECOLOGICAL URBANISM: What is it, why we need it, and the role of UN-Habitat. Policy Briefing, Coventry, pp. 1-6, Open access
Chiara Tornaghi (2024), “Raising the ambition of urban agriculture in public space: nurturing urban agroecology and more-than-human health”, Chapter 13 in Beata Sirowy, Deni Ruggeri (eds), Urban Agriculture in Public Space: Planning and Designing for Human Flourishing in Northern European Cities and Beyond, SpringerNature, ISBN: 978-3-031-41549-4. Gold open access here
Raúl Terrile* , Nahuel Martinez, Nicolás Paz, Francisco Brunotto, Mariano Costa, Natalia Budai, Cristina Ruiz,Macarena Rizzi, Marta Invernizzi, Telma Scarpeci, Rubén D Piacentini, Kevin Winter and Chiara Tornaghi (2024), “Urban food waste for soil amendment? Analysis and characterisation of compost for use as inputs in agroecological horticultural production systems in the city of Rosario, Argentina”, in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems - Agroecology and Ecosystem Services, vol. 8, first published 5th April 2024, open access here
Aphramor, L. (2024) Queering as Process: Disrupting Scientific Imperialism for Health Justice Using Kitchen Table Pedagogy. Journal of Critical Dietetics, 7:2. https://doi.org/10.32920/jcd.v7i2.1964
Ekolu J., Dieppois B, Tramblay Y., Villarini G., Slater L.J., Mahé G., Paturel J-E, Eden J.M., Moulds S., Sidibe M., Camberlin P.,Pohl B., Van de Wiel M. (2024) Variability in flood frequency in sub-Saharan Africa: The role of large-scale climate modes of variability and their future impacts, Journal of Hydrology, 640, 131679. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.131679
Folorunsho, O., Kizhakkethil Pandamkulangara, J., Bogush, A., and Kourtchev, I. (2024) Effect of short-term sample storage and preparatory conditions on losses of 18 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to container materials. Chemosphere, ScienceDirect. 363, 142814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142814
Namazi, Y., S. Charlesworth, A. Montazami and M. Taleghani (2024) The impact of local microclimates and Urban Greening Factor on schools’ thermal conditions during summer: a study in Coventry, UK. Building and Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111793
Kourtchev I, Sebben BG, Brill S, Barbosa CGG, Weber B, Ferreira RR, D'Oliveira FAF, Dias-Junior CQ, Popoola OAM, Williams J, Pöhlker C, Godoi RHM. Occurrence of a "forever chemical" in the atmosphere above pristine Amazon Forest. Sci Total Environ. 2024 Jun 10;944:173918. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173918. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38866151.
Roy, H. E., Pauchard, A., Stoett, P. J., Renard Truong, T., Meyerson, L. A., Bacher, S.,... Dehnen-Schmutz, K.,... & Ziller, S. R. (2024). Curbing the major and growing threats from invasive alien species is urgent and achievable. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 1-8. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-024-02412-w
Abell, J., Oldbury-Thomas, D. & Mazhandu, C.,12 Jun 2024, In: Conservation Science and Practice. A Scoping Review of Academic Papers on Human Lion Conflict in Africa
Qadir M.I., R. Mumtaz, M. Manzoor, M. Saleem and S. Charlesworth. (2024) Development of Unmanned Surface Vehicle for Intelligent Water Quality Assessment and Comparative Analysis of Oversampling Techniques for Addressing Class Imbalance. IWA. Water Supply Special Issue on: Impact of Sustainable Development and Industrialization on Water Quality: Human Health and Disease Heterogeneity. 1-12. doi: 10.2166/ws.2024.141
