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CAWR Newsletter
September 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.
Harnessing native pony power for conservation grazing and agroecological traction workshop
Image of Jupiter
On the 26th September Donna Oldbury-Thomas along with Ian Dennis of Groundwork and Peter Morgan of Torcoed Stud ran a workshop to demonstrate the value of the nearly extinct wild foaled Welsh Mountain Pony in conservation grazing schemes and for on-farm use.
The day was enormously successful with over 30 attendees and more booked in for the following 2 workshops. Feedback included ‘this whole project encapsulates such a wide range of different opportunities that not only hopefully provides a positive outcome for the future of the wonderful Welsh Mountain Ponies but also offers a less intrusive option for land management and can also have so many benefits with regards to Bio-diversity and Well-being’.
Contact Donna if you wish to book up to the 2 further events (one in south Wales, one in mid).
Jupiter's demonstration of the flattening of bracken
David presenting at the Poster Session
CAWR attends 2024 Microplastic Workshop
PGR David Anene recently participated in the 2024 Microplastic Workshop for Early Career Researchers in Idstein, Germany. During the workshop, he presented his research on "Microplastics and Chemical Additives Released from Facemasks and their Health and Environmental Impact."
The event brought together researchers, academics, and industry experts to address the "wicked problem" of microplastics. Discussions covered managing microplastic sources, advanced analysis techniques, human health impacts, sustainable design, science communications and regulatory policies. David highlighted that workshops like this promote interdisciplinary collaboration and help researchers consider the wider implications of their work.
Top image is a group photo at the workshop and the below image is of the Science Communication Cafe
SUDSnet 20th anniversary international conference
Co-organisers: (L-R) Dr Rebecca Wade (Abertay University), Prof Kiran Tota-Maharaj (WRC and Royal Agricultural University) and Prof Sue Charlesworth (CAWR, CU).
SUDSnet is a network of academics, stakeholders and practitioners working in the area of SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems). Abertay and Coventry Universities successfully bid for EPSRC funding and set this network up in 2004, hence the conference celebrated its 20th birthday. Conferences have been held regularly since its inauguration at Coventry University. This year, the Frank Whittle Building hosted the conference, and with delegates from South Africa, The Netherlands, Japan, Ireland, Scotland, Spain and Kenya it lived up to its “International” title.
Held over 2 days (11-12 September) sessions included: “SuDS in the city”, “SuDS and Society, “Resilient Infrastructure: Water Quantity”, Resilient Infrastructure: Water Quality”, “SuDS and Novel Materials” and “Emerging Challenges”. Jo Bradley (Stormwater Shepherds, UK) gave a fascinating keynote talk “SuDS and Highway runoff – a match made in Heaven or a toxic swamp?”
The conference rounded off with a dinner at St Mary’s Guildhall in Coventry, built in the 15th century, both the building and the food were superb!
Cambrian Mountain Residents sharing perspectives at Llandovery Rugby Club.
Beautiful Places as Contested Spaces
The Cambrian Mountain Range includes remote communities and some of the last remaining wilderness in southern Britain. On 2nd September, CAWR researchers Donna Oldbury-Thomas and Judith Conroy met with residents in Llandovery to better understand the potential consequences of the Welsh government’s new landscape management schemes. Working with the Cambrian Mountains Society and Aberystwyth University, this project addresses the economic, environmental and cultural impacts on the mountain range and its people.
Further sessions will take place through the autumn and you can find out more about the project on the project page link below.
Progress with peat-free salad production
Preparing growing media blends, then using blocking machine at Delfland Nurseries
On Friday 13th September, CAWR researchers visited Delfland Nurseries in Cambridgeshire to test the latest developments in the peat-free blocking media project. Building on two previous rounds of trials this year, refinements have been made to both the ingredients and processing methods; salad crops sown in the media will be assessed and planted out in the polytunnels of project lead Riverford Organic Farmers in the coming weeks.
Learning community quiz the gardener
Visit to Carey’s Secret garden on a biodiversity learning journey
The fourth PLANET4B project UK case study workshop took the Learning Community to Carey’s Secret Garden in Dorset. The walled wild plot provided a fantastic backdrop to reflect on the biodiversity journey the Learning Community has been on through participatory filmmaking, ‘Biodiversity in the cupboard’ and other creative methods.
CAWR attends RGS Annual International Conference 2024
Lucy Aphramor presented a paper Modernity and the Gut in the session Spatial Justice and Food Wellbeing. Lucy was co-covenor of the session, together with Dr Laxmi Pant, who researches and teaches human geography and food systems at the University of Greenwich. Lucy and Laxmi organised the session as part of their role as co-officers for EDI and Wellbeing in the RGS Food Studies Research Group.
Lunchtime meet up (L-R) Claire Lyons, Lucy Aphramor, Brian Nalumenya and Alison Rigg
PhD Student Alison Rigg also presented her research on What Flour Wants in the Cartographies of Consumption session.
(L-R) Lamis Jamil, Claire Lyons, Lucy Aphramor, Brian Nalumenya and Alison Rigg
Lamis a CAWR PhD student presented her research on "Cooking People’s Knowledge: A Case Study of the Granville Community Kitchen (GCK) in South Kilburn, London" in the Cartographies of Consumption: Cooking, Cuisines and Cultures..
RBES PhD Catherine Mazhandu presented at a panel tilted “Geographies of Local Democracy and Governance” and their topic was “Globally Pushed vs. Locally Driven – Mapping Stakeholders in Food and Agriculture Networks”
Catherine added "As my first visit to RGS, I expected to feel overwhelmed and nervous attending a huge and widely respected event. I did! But stronger than that feeling, was the joy of networking and meeting such a spirited community. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to hear amazing discussions, and have my mind opened to different conceptual theories and exciting research.
My highlight was an inspiring poster display that profiled people of colour working in conservation and sustainability."
Brian Nalumenya pictured at the event
Brian Nalumenya presented a research titled "Assessing rising contaminants and their impact on the water quality of Lake Victoria: two case studies in Uganda" in the Landscape Change and Pollution.
(from left to right) Ginevra, George and Hani, at the University of Oulu
Oppression and Struggle - Re-membering Gaza’s Baladi Food Systems
In August, George McAllister, MSc graduate Hani Alkhatib and intern Ginevre Montefusco presented on their foodways mapping research (part of the Gaza Foodways project) at the World Environmental History Congress in Oulu, Finland. The session, ‘Oppression and Struggle – Re-membering Gaza’s Baladi Foodways’, was part of a panel on the transformation of traditional foodways – coloniality, resistance and providing other forms of sustenance, organised by Nina Moeller, Jessica Millgroom and Lopa Saxena.
Our paper investigates the transformation of traditional foodways in a settler colony as seen through the gaze of women producers from Gaza City and Khan Yunis, exploring their relationships to food as a popular site of struggle. The paper draws on focus group discussions held in Gaza in June 2023 to explore historical food memories, the slow violence of occupation and industrialisation of farming of the recent past, through to the destroyed present. Visualised in layers, this work aims to celebrate baladi traditions and the resilience of those still producing for their families, neighbours and community kitchens.
CAWR participation at the Garden Organic 2024 ‘Members Day’
Garden Organic members discussing ways of sampling plastic contamination of soil used for food production
There have been close links between Coventry University and Garden Organic (formerly known as the Henry Doubleday Research Association) for over 40 years. Judith Conroy and Francis Rayns participated in a recent event for the charitiy’s members. They presented an ongoing research collaboration concerned with the use of plastic in horticulture; although plastic items such as mulches and nets provide alternatives to pesticides there is increasing concern about the consequences of contamination of the environment with microplastics.
Delegates examining a display of five peat-free growing media, using wheat as a test crop
The 2024 UK Controlled Environment User Group (CEUG) conference
The recent CEUG conference, held at the headquarters of NIAB in Cambridge, focussed on use of peat-free growing media. A panel of suppliers and manufacturers answered questions about current barriers and opportunities – this was very relevant to CAWR’s ongoing UKRI project ‘Design and Evaluation of Peat-free Growing Media’. Francis Rayns, together with our collaborator Mary Dimambro from Cambridge Eco Ltd, gave a presentation about the findings so far and plans for the next steps.
Maasai of Tanzania launch their own vision of conservation at Tropentag conference
Joseph Oleshangay, Maasai traditional leader and human rights lawyer, presenting the Maasai conservation vision at Tropentag workshop facilitated by Priscilla Claeys, CAWR
This visionary document represents the collective voices of over 520 Maasai community members who have united to assert their rights to land, pastoralism and peaceful coexistence with wildlife. It provides a powerful alternative to the colonial, fortress-style conservation models that have been imposed on Maasai, leading to the displacement and alienation of the community. It was developed through participatory research in Tanzania in July 2024 with the support of CAWR. The vision received very positive feedback at the Tropentage academic conference where it was presented, with many participants highlighting that scientific evidence supports the claim that pastoralism can bring conservation outcomes.
(From the left) CAWR’s Hasanthi Kosgahakumbure (PGR), Amoluck Eluri (PGR), Dr Ivan Kourtchev (DoS), and Cristian Argamino (PGR) in front of Omotola Folorunsho’s (PGR) poster at the BMSS Supermeeting 2024 held at Warwick University
CAWR PGRs and staff present work on new and emerging pollutants in the environment at the BMSS Super Meeting 2024
CAWR PGRs Omotola Folorunsho, Cristian Argamino, Amoluck Eluri, Hasanthi Kosgahakumbure and their DoS Dr Ivan Kourtchev presented their work at the British Mass Spectrometry Society (BMSS) Super Meeting 2024 from 4th-6th September, 2024 at Warwick University. The group presented posters on the development and application of the high-resolution mass spectrometry for identification of challenging new and emerging pollutants (NEPs) in water and in the atmosphere at trace levels. Their work garnered interest from the network of mass spectrometry experts in the UK and prompted discussions on the potential impacts of NEPs on the environment and on human health.
The conference brought together major instrument manufacturers and provided an opportunity to discuss current challenges and potential solutions related to the gas chromatography mass spectrometry systems at CAWR. CAWR PGRs also attended the career workshop which provided insight on the various career options after their PhD studies.
Moreover, it facilitated the establishment of a collaboration that resulted in a successful seedcorn application, enabling Cris Argamino to access and utilise Warwick University’s facilities for his project.
Community Tree Nursery event in the East of England at Aveland Trees
Tree Seed Cleaning demonstration at Aveland Nursery
On the 17th Sep 2024 Sam Green and Liz Trenchard of the Growing Connections project were invited to participate in a community tree nursery (CTN) event in the East of England organised by Rockingham Forest Vision. The day was designed for tree growers, woodland managers and farmers who were already involved or interested in setting up a CTN.
Hugh Dorrington and his team at Aveland Trees, a commercial nursery, provided guidance on setting up and managing a tree nursery. This included a demonstration of seed processing and stratification methods and guidance on the pros and cons of different tree growing methods. Growing Connections provided support with CTN specific information on biosecurity and recordkeeping.
Promotional poster of event
Community Tree Nursery Forum
The Growing Connections team at CAWR hosted a Community Tree Nursery (CTN) Forum at Ryton Organic Gardens, Coventry University on 27th September. The project is funded by the Forestry Commission.
Stakeholders from community tree nurseries, government agencies, environmental NGOs and academia attended and input their news and views.
The day’s activities included updates on community tree nursery research undertaken by the team, and opportunities for feedback, workshops with community tree nurseries on recommendations for national and local government and stakeholders, for future sustainability of the sector, a talk by Welsh practitioner Jayne Hunt of Llais y Goedwig’s CommuniTree showing how CoedNet’s map of CTNs and an online hub helps customers find local woodland producers in Wales, and a visit to Growing Connections’ pilot tree nursery onsite.
Publications
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
Álvarez, R., M. Izquierdo, H. Serrano, E. García-Ordiales, C. García, F. Alberquilla, F. Barrio, E. De Miguel, S. Charlesworth, A. Ordóñez. (2024) Comparison of sediment bioavailable methods to assess the potential risk of metal(loid)s for river ecosystems. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety.
Tshuma, F., Swanepoel. P.A, Labuschagne, J., Bennett, J., and Rayns, F. (2024). Tillage rotation and biostimulants can compensate for reduced synthetic agrochemical application in a dryland cropping system. Cogent Food and Agriculture. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311932.2024.2352958
Mushunje, L.H., Marandure, T., Chikwhana, O.C., Bennett, J., Hawkins, H-J, Palmer, A., Wu, L., Marufu, M. and Mapiye, C. (2024). Supplementation of Acacia dealbata versus Acacia mearnsii leaf-meal has potential to maintain growth performance of lambs grazing low-quality communal rangelands in South Africa. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 56:152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-024-04004-z
Aphramor, L. How Community Connections Boost Our Health. Permaculture Magazine. Issue 119 pp 13-15. Spring 2024.
Chen D.T., Roy A., Bogush A., Stegemann J.A. (2024) Speciation of toxic metals in metal finishing filter cake by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Journal of Environmental Management, 360, 120994. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120994
Aphramor, L. (2024) Refarming nutrition beyond the healthy/unhealthy binary. Food Ethics Council blog. April 2024. https://www.foodethicscouncil.org/opinion/reframing-nutrition-beyond-the-binary/
Bogush A., Kourtchev I. (2024) Disposable surgical/medical face masks and filtering face pieces: source of microplastics and chemical additives in the environment. Environmental Pollution, 348, 123792. https://doi.org/10.016/j.envpol.2024.123792
Quispe J.I.B., Campos L., Masek O., Bogush A. (2024) Removal of anionic urfactant from aqueous solutions by adsorption onto biochars: characterisation, kinetics, and mechanism. Environmental Technology. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2024.2304677
