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CAWR Newsletter
May 2025
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.
Urban bees
Apprenticeship Degree students were pleased to get outside and see some urban nature
The May sunshine was well-timed for two bee walks at Coventry University’s city centre campus. Judith Conroy guided staff and students around flower-rich areas where an interesting variety of bees and other insects were found foraging. These included 3 species of bumblebee, leafcutter bees, mason bees, mining bees, hairy-footed flower bees and a hoverfly mimicking a bumblebee!
Green spaces in urban areas are hugely valuable for nature and human wellbeing, with research increasingly focussing on the benefits to both. The walks are a collaboration between the CAWR research centre and Coventry University grounds team, and form part of an ecology module for Apprenticeship Degree course students.
Participation
Ivan Kourtchev participated in the parliamentary roundtable "Clean Air Strategy Review: Targeting Indoor Air Pollution", hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Carbon Monoxide and Health. The event was an important platform to highlight the often-overlooked issue of indoor air quality (not only carbon monoxide but other indoor pollution sources) in national policy. It brought together experts from academia, government, and public health, fostering valuable discussion on the need for stronger guidance and support for local authorities. The topics discussed are closely aligned with our ongoing research project, conducted at CAWR in collaboration with Deakin University, the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) Brazil, and the University of York, investigating indoor new and emerging pollutants (NEPs) in inhalable particulate matter (PM2.5) .
The roundtable was also a valuable networking opportunity, facilitating engagement with policymakers, academics, and other stakeholders working toward healthier indoor environments.
10,000 Sunflowers - community project partnership with CAWR
A community project to grow and plant 10,000 sunflowers is currently using one of our polytunnels at Ryton Organic Gardens to grow 4,000 sunflowers. The flowers will be planted out locally in schools, churches, a youth centre, old people’s homes etc. around Cubbington and Lillington, with a Big Community Planting Day on Saturday 31st May. All are welcome. Matt Black, lead organiser and chair of CLEAN (Cubbington and Lillington Environmental Action Now), says: “Without the super generous and friendly support of Judith and Francis at CAWR, planting 10,000 sunflowers would be massively more difficult. A huge thank you to them and CAWR.”
For more information, Matt is available on 077656 84941 or Matt.black@pop3.poptel.org.uk
Barbara at the Chelsea College of Art where she participated in a panel discussion
Earth Week 2025
At the end of April, the University of the Arts, London hosted a program of events for Earth Week. Barbara Smith presented CAWR research as a panellist in the ‘Ecological knowing, sensing and storytelling: Research within urgency’ session organised by The Climate Emergency Network
PLANET4B and DAISY at the Alternet Conference
CAWR researchers present at the Alternet conference
PLANET4B and DAISY projects were well represented at the tenth Alternet Conference in Aveiro, Portugal 13-16 May: 'Achieving Transformative Change for Biodiversity'. Alex Franklin delivered a keynote speech: Biodiversity and Societal Transformation: Becoming Response-able, and Geraldine Brown premiered a participatory film from PLANET4B alongside project partners Geeta and Subash Ludhra from Dadima's CIC. Other presentations included Impact Mapping by Geraldine and Amelie Dakoure, and a sneak peak at the biodiversity engagement open access education platform being developed by Claire Lyons and Barbara Smith.
Publication Spotlight!!
CAWR’s Judith Conroy and Ulrich Schmutz have co-authored a new publication exploring how living labs can contribute to agroecological transition. Agroecological Living Labs (ALLs) are increasingly adopted as inclusive, multi-actor collaborations that help foster co-creation and knowledge sharing. The open access paper, ‘Agroecological Living Labs as entry points for transition towards sustainable food systems’ is the result of work with partners on the Horizon Europe project Agroecology For Europe (AE4EU) and includes a framework to help ALLs assess their activities and impacts against the principles of agroecology. The Coventry Agroecological Living Lab (CALL) established under the AE4EU project continues to bring growers together this summer; Judith and colleague Gemma Foster are engaging with participants on a pilot project around growing more high-protein crops.
Rastorgueva, N., Bassignana, C. F., Angarita, E., Fasso, A., Hassink, J., Goris, M., Schmutz, U., Conroy, J., Dinç, S., Wezel, A., Migliorini, P. (2025). Agroecological Living Labs as entry points for transition towards sustainable food systems: a novel framework for the evaluation of living labs at different scales. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2025.2477215
Members of the UK Grain Lab Movement Building Circle. Credit: UK Grain Lab
CAWR hosts UK Grain Lab National Convening Event on ‘Movement Building’
The UK Grain Lab held a national convening event at CAWR on the 13th May, including representatives from seven of the UK’s Regional Grain Networks all working toward a more diverse, decentralised, and democratic grain system. Hosted by Chris Maughan and Alison Rigg, the event was used to strengthen links between the networks and examine what knowledge and other resources can be centrally shared under the UK Grain Lab’s ‘Movement Building Circle’ to further the growth of alternative grain economies.
Chris and Alison hosting guests at CAWR
Publication Spotlight!!
This paper explores how the ways in which we are taught can affect what we are able to know. It describes Lucy's pedagogical intervention, as experienced by Alison and Leo, and provokes consideration of what is credible knowledge and who is a credible knowledge bearer.
Rigg, A., Faedo, L. F., & Aphramor, L. (2025). An Experiment in Changing Ourselves and the World Through Pedagogy. Journal of Critical Dietetics, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.32920/jcd.v8i1.2284
Montage of images from the first ONESTOP meeting at Ryton
First meeting of the OneSTOP Living Lab for the detection and monitoring of invasive non-native species
Stakeholders dealing with invasive species across Coventry and Warwickshire came together in Ryton on the 21st of May for the first meeting of the OneSTOP project’s Living Lab. Participants were introduced to an air eDNA sampler, car/boat mounted camera systems and AI connected light traps for invasive species detection. They discussed which species best to focus on and which areas to deploy and test these new technologies over the next three years. Future activities will also include citizen science projects focused on gardens as early entry point for many invasive species.
Participation in the INRAE-CNRS collective scientific assessment conference: "Plastics used in agriculture and for food: uses, properties and impacts"
Francis Rayns has been working to review the literature on the functions of plastics in agriculture. This was part of a ‘Collective Scientific Assessment’ for the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the French Ministry of Ecological Transition and the French Agency for Ecological Transition to look at all aspects of plastics in food production including impacts on human health and the wider environment. The key findings were presented at a public symposium in Paris on 23rd May 2025. Recordings of the event and a summary document is already online with the full report available in a few weeks.
CAWR Contributes to Internal Colonialism Roundtable
Iain MacKinnon has been invited to contribute to a scholarly roundtable event celebrating the 50th anniversary of Michael Hechter’s groundbreaking sociological work ‘Internal Colonialism: The Celtic Fringe in British National Development’.
Iain’s revision of Hechter’s internal colonialism thesis as applied to Scotland has been the topic of intense scholarly discussion among Scottish historians in recent years and the roundtable will enable Iain to contribute further to this debate.
Subtle Agroecologies in the Netherlands
Leo in Groningen
In May, Dr Leonardo Faedo visited farmers in Groningen (NL), who are using homeopathic and biodynamic preparations to regenerate the land, grow cereals and horticultural produce.
The collaboration focused on learning from grounding experiences in the field, sharing successes and challenges of using the methods as technologies to be used in the agroecological transition.
Exciting new film on peat phase-out
Riverford Organic Farmers have released a new short film about work to eliminate the use of peat-based growing media. Their recent project with CAWR researchers, Delfland Nurseries and Cambridge Eco has led to some exciting developments, where a total peat phase-out is closer than ever before. Watch the video below.
Researchers, farmers, ecology professionals and members of the public, visiting farm sites across the country
Agroforestry Open Weekend
Fri 16th – Mon 19th May was the 2025 Agroforestry open weekend. CAWR researchers took the opportunity to visit some participating farms and speak with people at different stages of diversifying their systems with more trees. Visiting researchers from Ecuador and Tanzania were also able to see these UK farms as part of the UNDERTREES project.
The Agroforestry open weekend has grown steadily from a local event involving 6 farms in 2021, to over 50 farms in 2024, following increased uptake and interest in farming which incorporates trees. Agroforestry is increasingly the focus of research, bringing many potential benefits to agroecosystems and ultimately making them more resilient.
Regenerative Agriculture
The British Ecological Society have published a report assessing the ecological evidence around regenerative agriculture, aimed at policy makers. Barbara Smith co-led the Chapter defining what Regenerative Agriculture is. You can read the full report here
Impact News - 'working for change'
Revisiting vulnerability: Engaging with stakeholders in Rwanda and RD Congo
Some of the participants, now members of the research network
Liliane Binego and Geraldine Brown convened a research meeting with project partners from Rwanda. Held in Kigali (Rwanda), the meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on key learning from a previous collaborative study examining the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on farmers and traders of fresh farm produce at the Rubavu Cross-Border Market near the borders between Rwanda and DR Congo. It aimed to facilitate a discussion around the findings and explore pathways for policy and practice decision-makers regarding community-led crisis responses.
The meeting was funded by Coventry University’s Sustainability and Clean Growth initiative. Participants included research collaborators from the Global Initiative for Environment and Reconciliation, the University of Lay Adventist of Kigali, University of Goma (DRC), and the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board.
An outcome was the formation of a research network and development of a concept note for future research collaboration.
Images from the pony demo
Pony Power Demonstration and Workshop
On the 7th May, Donna Oldbury-Thomas hosted the first in a series of demonstrations showcasing the rare, wild-foaled Welsh Mountain Pony as a conservation grazer and low-impact hauler at her farm in mid-Wales. The oversubscribed event drew 25 attendees, including representatives from the RSPB, local councils, the National Trust, and Wildlife Trusts.
Native Welsh ponies offer two key benefits for upland landscapes: they support biodiversity by controlling scrub more effectively than other grazers, and they help reduce fire risk from bracken overgrowth. In addition, their strength and sure-footedness make them ideal for low-carbon hauling tasks such as bracken bashing, log and bale transport, chain harrowing, and mowing. This makes them valuable to both wildlife managers and farmers, while supporting Green Skills initiatives.
Publications
Rigg, A., Faedo, L. F., & Aphramor, L. (2025). An Experiment in Changing Ourselves and the World Through Pedagogy. Journal of Critical Dietetics, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.32920/jcd.v8i1.2284
Rastorgueva, N., Bassignana, C. F., Angarita, E., Fasso, A., Hassink, J., Goris, M., Schmutz, U., Conroy, J., Dinç, S., Wezel, A., Migliorini, P. (2025). Agroecological Living Labs as entry points for transition towards sustainable food systems: a novel framework for the evaluation of living labs at different scales. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2025.2477215
D.I. Anene, M. Beltran, B. Tjahjono, A. Schultz, M. McKenzie, S. Stevanovic, A. Bogush. 2025. Microplastics and chemical additives from disposable face masks: Environmental, human health and behavioural impacts, Science of The Total Environment, Vol 973, 179079. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179079
Maughan, C., Belletti, G., Marescotti, A., Balázs, B., Lazányi, O., & Mengoni, M. (2025). Against the grain: A commons approach to the governance of ‘Alternative Grain Networks’. Agricultural and Food Economics, 13(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40100-025-00352-y
Yitbarek, TW, Wilson, JRU, Evans, A, Dehnen-Schmutz, K. (2025). Community perceptions and governance of tree planting schemes in Ethiopia: Insights for sustainable ecological and socioeconomic outcomes. People and Nature. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70022
CHUN, OCTAVIANTI, DOGULU, TYRALIS, PAPACHARALAMPOUS, ROWBERRY, FAN, EVERARD, FRANCESCH-HUIDOBRO, MIGLIARI, HANNAH, MARSHALL, CALASANZ, STADDON, ANSHARYANI, DIEPPOIS et al. (2025) Transforming Disaster Risk Reduction with AI and Big Data: Legal and Interdisciplinary Perspectives. WIREs Data Min. Knowl. Discov.
REDDY, MASSEI, JARDANI, HENRIOT, FOURNIER, DIEPPOIS (2025) Groundwater level projections for aquifers affected by annual to decadal hydroclimate variations: Example of Northern France. Earth’s Future.
BAULON, MASSEI, DIEPPOIS, FOSSA, ALLIER, BESSIERE, FOURNIER (2025) Large-scale climate drivers of groundwater level variations in northern France over the last century. J. Hydrol.
MIRGOL, DIEPPOIS, NORTHEY, JARLAN, KHABBA, LE PAGE, EDEN, EKOLU, EL HAZDOUR, MAHE (2025) Interplay Among Recent Trends in Climate Extremes, Vegetation Phenology, and Crop Production in the Southern Mediterranean Region. Int. J. Clim.
Farrell, M. and Bunting, M.J. (2025) Beyond decline: heathland and the dynamics of cultural and environmental change in Bronze Age Orkney. In Løvschal, M. and Grønneberg, K. (eds) A Place for the Heathlands? Jutland Archaeological Society. https://heathland.place/beyond-decline
Green, S., Fourel, R., Lecourt, G., Grillas, H., 'What we can learn from fruit and nut tree nurseries in the Ardeche' The Organic Grower Magazine, journal of the Organic Growers Alliance, Winter 2024, No 69.
Folorunsho O, Bogush A, Kourtchev I. (2025) Occurrence of emerging and persistent organic pollutants in the rivers Cam, Ouse and Thames, UK. Sci Total Environ. 14;962:178436. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178436.
Bautista Quispe, J. I., Campos, L. C., Trejos, B., & Bogush, A. (2024). Exploring rural school students’ perceptions, willingness, motivations, and concerns regarding greywater treatment and reuse in southern Peru. Sustainable Environment, 11 (1). doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2024.2440960
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
