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CAWR Newsletter
August/ September 2026
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.
SPARK4B+ Kicks off in Coventry
SPARK4B Project team
You can’t build what you can’t picture; that’s the premise behind new project, SPARK4B+ (Strengthening Pathways for Alternative socio-economic paradigms and governance frameworks and Response-able Knowledge and action for Biodiversity-Positive and just futures).
Led by Alex and Marco together with Jonathan, Claire, Barbara and Lindy, the four-year project kicked off in Coventry 8-10 September and aims to turn alternatives to growth-oriented economic models into practical pathways. Backed by nearly €7 million, SPARK4B+ brings together 17 partners from nine countries.
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SPARK4B+ receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101291197
Organic fruit growing and marketing professionals at Boxford’s Golf resort conference facilities. Field trip with biological pest control in apple and cherry orchards, and cherry harvest under hail and sunburn protection
“Agroecology at Scale” - Bringing British Apples to Market @ Boxford Fruit Farms Event
Ulrich Schmutz as part of the Horizon Europe Innovation Action SCALE-it and the Agroecology Partnership attended the “Agroecology at Scale“ event organised by the Soil Association. The venue was Boxford Farms a large, currently non-organic, fruit producer located on the Suffolk-Essex border. Managed by farm director Robert England the 235-ha farm grows apples, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and asparagus. The Soil Association has formed a strategy partnership with retailer Ocado to have agroecology at scale in the UK.
Assessment of doctoral field trials at the Garlic Farm, Isle of Wight
Julia Wright accompanied PhD researcher Jay Abrahams, collecting water samples for Lab analysis from a two year old WET System. Rooted in Action Research Cycles and the applied principles of permaculture design, Jay’s research explores the efficacy of these polycultures - soil-based constructed wetland ecosystems, in purifying a range of wastewater types, whilst producing economic yields and greatly enhancing biodiversity. For the thesis we are measuring harvestable yield, noting species numbers within the constructed wetland habitats and also sampling for analysis as to how effectively the WET System is purifying wastewater. The photos show multi-species edge planting of the second pool - just one example of the wetland edge polycultures included within a WET System, including coppice willow banks, with understory planting and forest garden ’terraces’ or linear orchards.
Photos: second pool of the WET system at the Garlic Farm. Credit: J Abrahams.
Impact News - 'working for change'
Agroecological polytunnels
The work of the Coventry Agroecological Living Lab was shared at the XVIII IOBC-WPRS Working Group Meeting on Integrated Control in Protected Crops, Temperate Climate in the Netherlands. Judith Conroy presented the approaches of small-scale agroecological and organic growers to control crop pests by providing habitat for their natural enemies.
The International Organisation for Biological and Integrated Control event, organised by Wageningen University and Research was attended by the biocontrols and horticulture industries, academia and independent research bodies, to explore and advance the future of biological control in protected cropping. The experiences of small-scale growers offer insights on how building habitat can enable functional biodiversity in polytunnels.
Judith gratefully acknowledges the receipt of funding from Coventry University's ESRC Impact Acceleration Account in enabling this activity.
Global Conscious Food Systems Summit, Bhutan
Summit address by Ban Ki-Moon former Secretary General of the United Nations
From 1-4 September, Julia Wright participated in the Conscious Food Systems Summit in Paro, Bhutan. Hosted by the Royal Government of Bhutan and the UN Conscious Food Systems Alliance. The Summit brought together leaders from across policy, investment, and food system innovation to help shape a collective agenda for food systems transformation. Sponsored by the A-Team Foundation, Julia co-organised an experiential session on re-connecting with the more-than-human through systemic constellations, led by the Sanctuary for the Sacred Arts, Mexico.
Summit delegates at Dungkar Dzong, Pangbisa
Global Retreat Centre. Oxfordshire
Exploring the Transformative Power of Silence
From 17-20 September, Julia Wright joined a group of 30 international Transformation Researchers in a retreat to Explore the Transformative Power of Silence, hosted at the Global Retreat Centre in Oxfordshire. Raja Yoga Meditation was used as a conceptual framework to support changes at the levels of mindsets, behaviours, cultures and systems. One outcome was the acknowledgement of the need for intention to guide the silence.
CAWR researchers present at Neobiota conference on Biological Invasions in Brussels
CAWR researchers Katharina Dehnen-Schmutz and Helen Bayliss presented some of their work on invasive species from the OneSTOP project at the Neobiota Conference in Brussels. Katharina presented the Living Labs approach and the gardens as sentinels citizen science Shiny apps for PlantAlert and land flatworms, while Helen presented work on AI-generated invasive species management plans. It was a new experience using e-posters, and alongside a three minute live presentation at the conference each also has a stack of materials you can access using the links above.
IFOAM World office in Bonn and other international organisation e.g. World Agroforestry and Global Landscapes Forum
IFOAM World office visit in Bonn, Germany
Ulrich Schmutz and Judith Conroy as part of the Agroecology Partnership Executive meeting visited the headquarters of IFOAM World (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements). While IFOAM’s European regional office is based in Brussels, IFOAM World is in the UN (United Nations) quarter of Bonn. The next IFOAM World Congress is planned in November 2027 in the Philippines and will have contributions on organic horticulture and to promote the BAH journal.
AGROECOLOGY Partnership collaborative meeting
In early September, Ulrich Schmutz and Judith Conroy attended the most recent Executive Team meeting of the AGROECOLOGY Partnership in Bonn, Germany. The project aims to accelerate agroecological transition through Living Labs and Research Infrastructures and this meeting was an opportunity to explore areas such as dialogue on the transformative potential and ambition of the Partnership.
Ulrich gave updates on work led by Coventry University to scale the Partnership’s Network of Agroecological Living Labs and Research Infrastructures, and on the Internationalisation Working Group led by Liliane Binego. Project partners were also able to visit a living lab at the Campus Klein-Altendorf trial field and laboratories of the University of Bonn.
Help uncover the hidden world of land flatworms!
Do you have non-native flatworms in your garden or allotment? CAWR researchers Helen Bayliss and Katharina Dehnen-Schmutz are encouraging people to check their outdoor spaces for flatworms and report findings through the OneSTOP land flatworms survey app. Land flatworms are spread via the movement of plants and soils, and can be found in damp dark places inside plant pots or under logs or stones. You can record your search on our app even if you don’t find any flatworms. If you do find a flatworm, there is a link to an ID guide on the app too!
CAWR Summer 2026 Graduation
Congratulations to our students that graduated in July:
Zarmina Zahoor: Doctor of Philosophy - Assessment of wildfire danger under climate change across South Asia and Pakistan: a multi-scale approach using satellite data and climate models.
Joshua Rees: Doctor of Philosophy - An investigation of multi-level and multi-actor networked approaches to food (in)security: the case of feeding Britain.
Ffion Thomas: Doctor of Philosophy - Approaches to managing ash dieback disease using sustainable soil amendments including biochar.
Carolina Gallo Granizo: Doctor of Philosophy - Developing new scenarios to assess fire danger and inform restoration strategies in a changing climate.
Cristian Argamino: Doctor of Philosophy - Investigation of phthalate esters and bis-2(ethylhexyl) adipate in the atmosphere and their toxicological effects.
Neptali Nehemias Pino Venero: Master of Philosophy - The Institutional Chakra. Motivations behind outsiders’ redefinitions of the forest smallholdings (chakra) in the Napu Runa territory in Northwestern Amazonia.
Gordon Madamombe: Master of Arts by Research - Historical knowledges of Charterhouse Coventry and their influence on contemporary perceptions, planning and practice of ecological restoration of Charterhouse Fields.
Photo montage for Leamington EcoFest
Three CAWR projects at Leamington’s EcoFest
Katharina, Alex, Lindy and Helen had a stall at Leamington Spa’s annual EcoFest event on 5 September. They took the AMI (Automatic Monitoring of Insects) trap, Air DNA sampler, biodiversity JENGA®, flatworm models and biodiversity story cubes to share some of the biodiversity and citizen science research spanning the DAISY, OneSTOP and DRAGONS projects.
They had lots of conversations with interested members of the public and other stallholders. It was lovely to see some other CAWR colleagues and their families participating in the event. Even Groot showed up to join the fun!
Publications
Yazlık, A., Ulutaş, O. C., & Dehnen-Schmutz, K. (2026). Ornamental plant producers’ perceptions of invasive plants: non-native taxa highlighted in Yalova Province, Türkiye. Invasive Plant Science and Management, 19, e15. 10.1017/inp.2026.10048
Raimondo, M., Bartolini, F., Dumper-Pollard, R., Reinhard-Kolempas, M., Roganovic, D., Schmutz, U., Thiesmeier, A. Zander, P. & Vergamini D. (2026) Understanding motivations for agroforestry maintenance and adoption: a comparative analysis in Europe. Agric Econ 14, 64. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40100-026-00506-6
Wigboldus, S., Wezel, A., Dauber, J., Migliorini, P., Schmutz, U., & Hassink, J. (2026). Systemic perspectives on agroecology’s potential to transform European agriculture and food systems: A review. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 1–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2026.2710292
Faedo, L. F. (2026). Floristic composition and land-use potential of an urban agroforestry system in the city of Lages, Santa Catarina, southern Brazil: an observational study. REVISTA DELOS – Desarrollo Local Sostenible, 19(82), e9759. ISSN 1988-5245 https://doi.org/10.55905/rdelosv19.n82-028
Evans, M. (2025). Visual arts, insecurity and an elusive peace in Casamance, Senegal. International Journal of Art and Design Education, 44(4), 886-901. https://doi.org/10.1111/jade.12623
Nyanghura, Q., Mandela, P., Binego, L., Mombo, F., Schmutz, U. (2026). Analyzing the economics of agroforestry within land use and land cover change: The case of the Baga-Kisimagonja ecological corridor of Tanzania. Land Use Policy, Volume. 169, 2026, 108158, ISSN 0264-8377 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2026.108158
Adekola, O. E., Jones, T. S., & Dehnen-Schmutz, K. (2026). Using bioacoustics to assess the impact of evergreen invasive plants on bird communities in Wales, United Kingdom. NeoBiota, 107, 89-103. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.107.157629
He, Q., Fok, H. S., Dieppois, B. & Ferreira, V. (2026). Diverse Seasonal Patterns of Precipitation and Terrestrial Water Storage over the Indochina Peninsula: Roles of Monsoons, ENSO, and Topography. Hydrological Processes. In press. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70529
Mkonda, M. Y., Dieppois, B., Mombo, F., Binego, L. & Van De Wiel, M. (2026). Exotic Trees and Ecosystem Impacts in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Sao Hill, Tanzania. Scientific African, 32, e03404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03404
Wright, J.; Bojesen Jensen, J.; Dufour, C.; Altobelli, N.; McTiernan, D.; Gosnell, H.; Prescott, S.L.; Legrand, T. Conscious Food Systems: Supporting Farmers’ Well-Being and Psychological Resilience. Challenges 2026, 17, 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/challe17010003
Diop, S. B., Tramblay, Y., Bodian, A., Dieppois, B. & Ouarda, T. (2026). Intercomparison of regional flood frequency estimation procedures in West Africa. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment. In press.
He, Q., Fok, H. S., Dieppois, B. & Ferreira, V. (2026). Diverse Seasonal Patterns of Precipitation and Terrestrial Water Storage over the Indochina Peninsula: Roles of Monsoons, ENSO, and Topography. Hydrological Processes. In press.
Argamino, C. R. A., Silva, J. dos S., Kizhakkethil, J. P., Stevanovic, S., Ward, M., McKenzie, M., Bogush, A., Hamilton, J. F., Godoi, R. H. M., and Kourtchev, I.: Assessment of the occurrence of phthalate esters (PAEs) in indoor office PM2.5 from Brazil and the UK, Atmos. Pollut. Res., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apr.2026.102987, 102987, 2026.
Kosgahakumbura, H. H., Kourtchev, I., Charlesworth, S., Callahan, D. L., and Gates, W. P.: Stability of recycled plastics in an aqueous alkaline cementitious matrix, Polymer Degradation and Stability, 246, 111915, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111915, 2026.
Kourtchev, I., Coupe, S., Buckley, A., Pandamkulangara Kizhakkethil, J., Gatta, E., Massabò, D., Prati, P., Vernocchi, V., and Mazzei, F.: Controlled chamber formation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) aerosols with Pseudomonas fluorescens: size distributions, effects, and inhalation deposition potential, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 3237–3252, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-3237-2026, 2026.
Peyton, J. M., Rorke, S., Aldridge, D. C., Pescott, O. L., Dehnen‐Schmutz, K., Noble, D. G., ... & Roy, H. E. (2026). Assessing the success of a horizon scanning approach in predicting invasive non‐native species arrival. Journal of Applied Ecology, 63(1), e70217. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.70217
