CAWR Newsletter

October 2022

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 in The Conversation: Gaza’s Food System Under Siege

George McAllister had an opportunity to visit Gaza in July, as part of the Gaza Foodways partnership - returning just days before Israel’s latest bombardment of Gaza. Her article published in The Conversation this month reflects on the continuous and systematic destruction on Gaza’s food and farming system, and the infrastructure that supports it, throughout 55 years of occupation and 15 years of blockade.

CAWR success at the International SEEDS Conference 2022

Sue and Peter at the SEEDS conference

CAWR PhD student Peter Hollings and CAWR Professor Sue Charlesworth had great success at a recent international conference on ecological engineering where Sue delivered a keynote talk and Peter won a poster award.

Sue's keynote to the International Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design for Society (SEEDS) Conference 2022 - held at the University of the West of England in Bristol from August 31st through to September 2nd - discussed the use of nature-based solutions to manage surface water in slums and refugee camps.

At the conference Peter presented a poster on his PhD project titled “Assessing the feasibility of Sustainable drainage systems in informal settlements to treat new and emerging pollutants”. This poster won the John Sturges special award at the conference’s Research, Innovation, Sustainability and Enterprise (RISE) awards where Peter was presented with a trophy and certificate.

Peter receiving his award

Best poster presentation winner at Health and Geochemistry conference

Pauline discussing her research with conference delegates

There was further poster success for CAWR at the 37th International Conference on Geochemistry and Health held between 10th and 14th October 2022 at the University of Eldoret, Kenya.

At this conference CAWR PhD research student Pauline Long'or Lokidor won first prize for the best poster presentation. The event was organised by the Society for Environmental Geochemistry (SEGH), University of Eldoret (UoE) and British Geological Survey (BGS). Pauline presented a poster on Nature-Based Solutions as a potential solution to improve water, sanitation and grey water management, and to build community resilience in informal settlements. She won a prize of $250.

Pauline receiving her award

Regulating Gene Editing: A Case for Public Engagement

RISER director Michel Pimbert was one of the experts in an on-line panel discussion which examined where and how citizen engagement fits into concepts of good governance of agricultural genetic technologies.

In the UK, the EU and elsewhere, citizen involvement in these matters remains peripheral and elusive. The webinar, organised and facilitated by A Bigger Conversation, explored the question of where citizen engagement fits into concepts of good governance and asked: if such engagement is essential, then how do we implement it?

Panel members all hold first-hand knowledge of the possibilities and challenges of incorporating public perspectives into the regulation of agricultural genetic engineering.

To watch the panel, including Michel's contribution, click here.

Call for Papers on the "Impact of Human Induced Changes in the Ecosystem: Challenges and Advances"

CAWR researcher Ernest Nnadi is co-editing a special issue of the journal Sustainability on the topic "Impact of Human Induced Changes in the Ecosystem: Challenges and Advances". This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development". The deadline for manuscript submissions is 31st January 2023. For more details click here.

The Agroecology Research Collaboration holds Autumn Gathering

Some of the ARC delegates in discussion

Two members of CAWR attended the second annual gathering of the Agroecology Research Collaboration (ARC) on 21st October.

ARC is a practitioner-led research network working towards creating a more collaborative and just research landscape in the UK. It is co-led by the Landworkers’ Alliance, The Ecological Land Cooperative, Organic Growers Alliance, Pasture for Life, and the CSA network.

The gathering focussed on the connections and relationships between researchers and practitioners; academic research institutes and farmers' organisations; and formal and informal knowledge systems. The event was attended by Chris Maughan (who sits on the ARC steering committee) and Rosie Venn. Chris has been working with ARC to develop a new funding mechanism for the network based on ‘community supported’ model which was also discussed at the event.

Procura+ Seminar in Brussels: a key moment for the COACH Project 

Luke (far left) and fellow delegates

Luke Owen participated on behalf of the COACH Project in the Procura+ European Sustainable Procurement Network Seminar held in the Municipality of Schaerbeek, Brussels on 12th and 13th October.

The event brought together key figures and organisations involved in sustainable, strategic, circular and innovation procurement across Europe.This included multiple COACH project partners, including the Land Workers’ Alliance, European Coordination Via Campesina, the Municipalities of Copenhagen and Ghent, and ICELI.

At the core of the 2022 Procura+ Seminar was the Farm to Fork Procurement strategy. This prompted critical discussion about the role of territorial food systems and collaborative agri-food chains in delivering sustainable procurement objectives.

The event culminated in the screening of the first ever short animation on farm-to-fork sustainable public procurement; highlighting the importance of a multi-stakeholders approach in promoting inclusive, healthy, and sustainable food procurement processes from farm to fork.

Kingdom of Fungi celebrated at CAWR, Ryton Organic Gardens

Sam Towers, CAWR Lab Technician with Fairy Ring Champignons, Marasmius oreades. Photo by Sam Green

CAWR celebrated UK Fungus Day on 8th October 2022 which aims to highlight the importance of this often-overlooked kingdom. CAWR staff and CU estates staff labelled fungi that are growing at Ryton Organic Gardens site. Sam Towers, CAWR lab technician, led on the identification, and the labelled brackets, toadstools and mushrooms formed a walk around the gardens for contemplation about the kingdom of fungi.

CAWR contributes to international forest health conference

CAWR PhD student Ffion Thomas and Research Assistant Samantha Green recently participated in the International Union of Forestry Research Organisations (IUFRO) conference on forest health, in Lisbon, Portugal. The conference addressed the pest and disease challenges facing forest trees around the world. Ffion gave a presentation on her PhD research into the effects of sustainable soil amendments on the tree disease ash dieback, and Sam presented a poster on the HOMED project's (Holistic Management of Emerging Forest Pests and Diseases) European stakeholder survey regarding awareness, detection and management of new, emerging tree pests and diseases.

Ffion Thomas' talk on her ash dieback research, at IUFRO conference. Photo by Sam Green

CAWR staff deliver first RISE ATTER School on ‘Ways of Knowing for Agroecological Transitions’

Some participants at the RISE ATTER school

As part of the RISE ATTER project, CAWR staff co-designed and delivered a seven day event at Monkton Wyld Court in Dorset, UK. Following a competitive application process, the team selected 24 researchers and practitioners working on agroecological transitions in their territories.

Over the course of the week, participants were led through an intensive programme of workshops, exchanges and hands-on activities intended to support agroecological transitions at the territorial level. Activities included transect mapping, image theatre, and research dilemma ‘world café’. The week also culminated in a day led and programmed by the participants themselves. The RISE ATTER project will run a further two schools in the coming two years in Italy and France.

To find out more about the school check out this blog.

Congratulations to CAWR’s first two co-tutelle PhD awardees with the University of Santa Catarina State (UDESC), Brazil

Rovier (2nd human from left) on family farm

On 19th and 20th October respectively, Leonardo Faedo and Rovier Verdi successfully defended their PhD theses, both passing with just minor corrections.

Leo’s research explored vitality in sustainable strawberry cropping systems and the effectiveness of a multi-method approach, while Rovier investigated innovative agroecological approaches for a more sustainable rice production system in Santa Catarina, Brazil. The core element of both of these projects was the application of homeopathy in sustainable cropping systems.

With joint supervisory teams from CAWR and UDESC, both candidates had to comply with two sets of regulations and write their thesis in the English language. For this they receive a prestigious dual award.

Leo with his strawberry trials

The Landworkers’ Alliance - Building Better Food Systems 

As part of the COACH EU project, The Landworkers’ Alliance held a multi-actor dialogue and national training workshop on 28th & 29th September in Manchester. 

The event was well attended by attended by practitioners, local policy makers, academics and food justice activists all working to advance the out-scaling of agroecological short food supply chains (SFSCs) in the UK. For more information on the COACH project, click here.

CAWR researcher explores the meanings of The Cave of Gold

CAWR researcher Iain MacKinnon recently published an article in LESS, the journal of the Degrowth Movement in Scotland. The article argues that processes of internal colonisation have undermined connection to place and traditional knowledge systems in the Scottish Gaìdhealtachd, creating ontological vulnerability. He goes on to make the case that an essential part of restoring vitality and vigour to the area will involve releasing the forces of the Otherworld from their current captivity in the Cave of Gold. The article can be read here. 

Organic Matters 2022

Judith Conroy presents to the Organic Matters conference

On 18th October, CAWR researchers attended and presented at Organic Matters 2022, the annual conference of the Organic Growers Alliance. The event was an opportunity for small and medium sized growers to get together with researchers and included a session on soil health featuring the work of Organic-PLUS as well as a session on consumer perceptions, incorporating the work of both the FOOdIVERSE and Organic-PLUS projects.

Spotlighting LGBTQ+ voices in nutrition 

CAWR researcher Lucy Aphramor has contributed a number of chapters to a new book which brings LGBTQ+ voices in nutrition into the spotlight through creative and critical  scholarship.

The book, titled Queering Nutrition and Dietetics: LGBTQ+ Reflections on Food Through Art, is divided into three parts. The first part explores eating, food, and bodies; the second discusses communities, connections, and celebrations; and the final part covers care in practice. Special attention is paid to the intersections of oppression, colonialism, social justice, and politics.

This book will be beneficial to all health professionals, educators, and students creating and fostering safer, more inclusive environments.

Lucy authored or co-authored the following chapters:

• The Unbearable Straightness of Intuitive Eating (with Maxie Castle)
• Still Dreaming After All These Years that Dietetics be (made) Relevant (with Jacqui Gingras)
• A Case Study Exploring Relations between Creativity, Queering and Undoing Coloniality in Dietetic Theory

For more details about the book, click here.

Ethnobotanical diversity of Caribbean home-gardens: A Puerto Rican case-study

Puerto Rico is a Caribbean Island, where hurricanes strike periodically and affect food production, access and availability. In light of the territory’s dependence to over 85 per cent food imports, there is however, 15 per cent produced locally. These figures do not contemplate home-gardens nor their role in food sovereignty. Last October, Georges Félix (CAWR) supported a series of community workshops in Aguas Buenas, Orocovis and San Germán (Puerto Rico) to unravel the structures and functions of Puerto Rican home-gardens. Participatory-Action Research approaches stimulated the mapping of individual home-gardens and group discussions supported the identification of the variety of functions and services that backyard plants provide to local families. A brief report from this activity will soon be available!

Events

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

Publications

Tittonell, P., El Mujtar, V., Félix, G.F., Kebede, Y., Laborda, L., Luján Soto, R. & de Vente, J. (2022) Regenerative agriculture—agroecology without politics? Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 6:844261.

Félix, G.F. & Sanfiorenzo, A. (2022) Learning Agroecology Online During COVID-19. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 6:821514.

Dehnen-Schmutz, K., Kutlvašr, J., & Webb, A. (2022). Plant Alert – results from the first three years. BSBI News, 151, 50-53. https://pure.coventry.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/56444321/BSBI_News_151_pp50_53_Plant_Alert_final.pdf

Canavan, S., Brym, Z.T., Brundu, G., Dehnen-Schmutz, K., Lieurance, D., Petri, T., Wadlington, W.H.,  Wilson, J.R.U., Flory, S.L. (2022): Cannabis de-domestication and invasion risk. Biological Conservation 274, 109709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109709

Wright, J. (2022)  A revitalisation of European farming and the promise of the biodynamic worldview. Chem. Biol. Technol. Agric. 9:64

Vandermaelen, H., Dehaene, M., Tornaghi, C., Vanempten, E., & Verhoeve, A. (2022). Public land for urban food policy? A critical data-analysis of public land transactions in the Ghent city region (Belgium). European Planning Studies. Paper published open access online.

Mahdad, F.,  Riyahi Bakhtiari, A., Moeinaddini, M., Charlesworth, S. & Emrani, N. (2022) Concentration Levels, Spatial Distribution and Source Identifcation of PAHs, n-Alkanes, Hopanes and Steranes in Deposited Dust of Mashhad, Iran, and Potential Health Risk Assessment. Environmental Processes, 9, 3. DOI: 10.1007/s40710-022-00591-x

Quispe J.I.B., Campos L., Masek O., Bogush A. (2022). Use of biochar-based column filtration systems for greywater treatment: a systematic review. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 48, 102908.

Du T., Bogush A., Mašek O., Purton S., Campos L. (2022). Algae, biochar and bacteria for acid mine drainage (AMD) remediation: a review. Chemosphere, 304, 135284.

Valdés-Correcher, E., Popova, A., Galmán, A., … Green, S. et al. (2022). Herbivory on the pedunculate oak along an urbanization gradient in Europe: Effects of impervious surface, local tree cover, and insect feeding guild. Ecology and Evolution, 12, e8709.