CAWR Newsletter

December 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.

International Knowledge Exchange on Gender and Communal Land Rights in Kenya

Community dialogue in Machakos, Kenya

Dialogues on women’s right to land took place over two weeks in Kenya, between representatives from four peasant and pastoralist organizations from Mali (COFERSA), Guinea (CNOP-G), Tanzania (PWC) and Kenya (KPL).

They discussed women’s participation in communal land governance, inheritance rights, gender-based violence and formalization of tenure. This event marked the launch of phase two of the Women’s Rights to Communal Land project, facilitated jointly by CAWR and IDR, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. Its objective is to protect collective rights in the face of land grabbing, whilst democratizing communal land governance.

CAWR researcher wins conference presentation award

Dr Anna Bogush gave an oral presentation “Residues from Biomass Thermal Treatment and Wastewater Treatment Plants as Agricultural Fertiliser: Nutrients Harvesting from Waste” at the 3rd International Conference “Strategies toward Green Deal Implementation - Water, Raw Materials & Energy” held on 5-7th December 2022.

Her presentation was awarded the best presentation at the conference session “Sustainable Waste Management”.

Growing Connections project starts work!

Liz Trenchard discusses local fruit trees and possible propagation projects with Coventry Tree Wardens and visitors at Ryton Organic Gardens Orchard during CAWR’s Open Day. Photo by Sam Green.

Growing Connections is a new CAWR project, funded until spring 2025 by the Forestry Commission from the Tree Production Innovation Fund. It will explore how new technologies and ways of working can enhance the quantity, quality, and diversity of tree planting stock in England.

Growing Connections is researching the valuable contribution that innovative community tree nurseries make to the diversity of quality tree stocks available for planting projects locally, and with stakeholder involvement will also be developing ‘how-to’ and best practice resources to strengthen community nurseries’ contribution to the tree production sector nationally.

We are currently developing a survey for tree buyers about their procurement methods and preferences to launch early next year. We are also recruiting a part-time Research Assistant. More information on this position can be found here.

British Council workshops in Pakistan

Professor Sue Charlesworth and Dr Farzana Aslam along with their colleagues in Pakistan

Professor Sue Charlesworth and Dr Farzana Aslam conducted workshops in Karachi and Faisalabad, Pakistan between 19th November and 4th December, for the British Council. In Karachi their “researcher” workshop covered applying for funding, research quality and budgeting. In Faisalabad, their focus was on successfully managing research projects, and drawing up a personal development plan.

Practicing Transdisciplinary Agroecological Research

Professor Michel Pimbert gave a presentation at the international workshop on transdisciplinary agroecology in Montpellier, on 9 December 2022. This event was co-organised by Eve Fouilleux (CIRAD, France) and Rachel Bezner-Kerr (Cornell University, USA).

Michel’s presentation argued that agroecological research is based on transdisciplinary knowledge that combines different ways of knowing (rational, experiential, intuitive, phenomenological.…). Doing transdisciplinary agroecological research implies significant changes in how, where, by and with whom new knowledge is constructed, validated, and shared with more people and places. This is largely because transdisciplinary research recognises the essential unity of all knowledge(s) and rejects hierarchies between different ways of knowing and knowledge systems (scientific, indigenous …).

The idea of cognitive justice is indeed central to the practice of transdisciplinary agroecology research. The widespread practice of a transdisciplinary agroecology implies the construction of technical and policy related knowledge that is actively shaped by food producers and consumers, rather than through top-down research and the hegemony of scientism, colonialism, and patriarchy. A two-pronged approach to the production of transdisciplinary agroecological knowledge was highlighted: (1) fundamentally transforming and democratizing public research institutions and universities; and (2) strengthening horizontal networks of grassroots self-managed research and innovation. Michel briefly discussed some of the major barriers to change and highlighted institutional innovations needed to amplify these two approaches.

CAWR PhD student's poster presentation

Victor Adebiyi, a CAWR PhD student, presented his poster “Microplastics in Bottled Water“ at the 3rd International Conference “Strategies toward Green Deal Implementation - Water, Raw Materials & Energy”. This event took place between 5th and 7th December 2022.

Organic-Plus project's PhD student passes viva with excellence

Ulrich (far left) at Erica Montemayor's viva in Barcelona

Ulrich Schmutz was one of three viva experts (Tribunal) in Catalonia, Spain for Erica Montemayor at the  Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona Tech. The PhD was funded through employment in the CU-lead Horizon 2020 project Organic-PLUS and titled “Environmental impact accounting of organic agricultural production systems: Advancing inventory and biodiversity modelling approaches in Life Cycle Assessment”.

Following a 45 minute presentation in the main university aula, Erica got a public examination with grilling questions and mastered both with excellence. Erica, has a research job lined up at a leading LCA consultancy in Barcelona.

CAWR helps to pave the way in South Africa

Professor Sue Charlesworth was invited to serve on the Working Group that is developing guidelines for the design, construction and maintenance of Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement for South Africa. The group met regularly for 12 months to produce the guidelines which included Masters projects based at the University of Cape Town.

Events

Listen to CAWR researcher James Bennett and his Coventry colleague Tawanda Marandure addressing the final workshop of their TOCASA project which seeks to support beneficial outcomes for the management of rangelands in South Africa, and catch up on our events and seminars by visiting our YouTube channel

Publications

Wong S.L., Armenise S., Nyakuma B.B., Bogush A., Towers S., Lee S.H., Wong K.Y., Lee T.H., Rebrov E., Muñoz M. (2022) Plastic Pyrolysis over HZSM-5 Zeolite and Fluid Catalytic Cracking Catalyst under Ultra-Fast Heating. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis (IF 6.437), 105793. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2022.105793 

Lavers, T., Charlesworth, S. Lashford, C., Warwick F., and Fried, J. (2022) The performance of Natural Flood Management at the large catchment-scale: A case study in the Warwickshire Stour Valley. Water SI Surface Water Management: Recent Advances and Challenges.

Tjahjono B., Beltran M., Lazell J., Bek D., Bogush, A.(2022) Prototyping Solutions – Findings from the third UK SIMBIO social innovation lab – and SIMBIO project implications, 25th of November, 2021. Coventry: Coventry University, Centre for Business in Society (CBiS).

Dehnen-Schmutz, K, Pescott, O, Booy, O, Walker, K (2022): Integrating expert knowledge at regional and national scales improves impact assessments of non-native species. NeoBiota 77: 79-100. (open access)

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.