Doctoral Research Position in the VSS4FOOD&FIBER project – Agricultural and Environmental Economics

VSS4Food&Fiber is a collaborative and interdisciplinary research project coordinated by Prof. dr. Ir. M. Maertens at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Dr. A. Marx at the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies at KU Leuven. The overall objective of the project is to enhance our understanding of the design, implementation and impact of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) and their effectiveness as market- and trade-based sustainability tools in global agrifood and fiber systems. The project focuses on eight tropical commodities (coffee, cocoa, tea, palm oil, soybean, banana, sugarcane, and cotton), and on the most important VSS in these sectors (Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, GlobalGAP, and RSPO – among others). These eight sectors are important in South-North trade and for the export earnings of low- and middle-income countries but face pressing sustainability challenges, for example related to deforestation, biodiversity loss, poverty, and child labor. In the VSS4Food&Fiber project, we will compile unique data from a large set of countries and use quantitative and interdisciplinary methods to investigate the socio-economic and environmental sustainability effects of VSS at country- and regional-level, and how these effects are shaped by the design and governance of VSS and by their implementation through certification schemes. We will engage with diverse stakeholders, including VSS organizations, food and textile companies, civil society organizations and international institutes, about our research and findings. Are you eager to contribute to this?  

The project will build on a previous project, VSS4Food&Wood, that focused on VSS in wood and selected agrifood sectors. If you are curious to learn about this project, you can consult our below-mentioned project website.

In the framework of this new project, we seek to recruit three full-time doctoral researchers. For one of these three positions we seek to hire someone with a background in Bioscience Engineering (with specialisation in Economics and/or Ecology), Agricultural Economics, Environmental Economics, Ecological Economics or another applied field of Economics. In this position, you are expected to contribute to compiling country- and regional-level databases in cooperation with other doctoral and post-doctoral researchers in the project. You will exploit these databases in macro- and regional-level econometric analyses on the trade and environmental impacts of VSS, with a specific emphasis on deforestation, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions. You will interpret and discuss your research findings with the project team, and will engage in multidisciplinary research to integrate and synthesize findings on different sustainability outcomes and governance aspects of VSS. You will edit research articles and present your research at national and international conferences. The position requires interdisciplinary teamwork with other doctoral and post-doctoral researchers as well as independent and creative thinking that contributes to the advancement of the project and the research field. The position involves consultation with relevant stakeholders and participation in policy dialogue with public sector, private sector, and civil society actors through workshops and webinars. You are expected to deliver inspiring contributions to the development of research dissemination and valorisation material.   

You will work at the Division of Bio-economics, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Bio-science Engineering, KU Leuven under the supervision of Prof. dr. Ir. Miet Maertens, and in close collaboration with the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies and under the co-supervision of Dr. Axel Marx. You will conduct a PhD at the Arenberg Doctoral School (ADS). You can find more information on the ADS PhD program on the below-mentioned website of Arenberg Doctoral School.

• You hold an EU Master’s degree in Bioscience Engineering, Agricultural Economics, Environmental Economics, Natural Resources Economics or another relevant field of Applied Economics or Bioscience Engineering with excellent study results (you have obtained at least a distinction or graduated cum laude) – or an equivalent degree of higher education.
• You have a keen interest in scientific research on global agrifood systems, environmental sustainability, and economic development – and more generally in the research topics of the Division of Bio-economics
• You have experience with or are eager to work with large databases and database management software. 
• You have starter skills in statistical, econometric, or other quantitative data analysis, and some experience with statistical software packages; you are keen to develop these skills further. 
• You have basic GIS skills or are motivated to acquire them. Experience with field research in a low- or middle-income country, or experience conducting socio-economic surveys and semi-structured interviews is an asset. 
• You possess strong and documented scientific writing skills. 
• You have excellent communication skills and know how to use them effectively to move forward.   
• You are proficient in English; knowledge of Dutch is a plus.  
• You are willing and able to travel abroad for field research, data collection, interviews, meetings, workshops, or conferences. 
• You are flexible, dynamic, and sociable. You show persistence, are solution-oriented, and can work both independently and collaboratively.   
• You are enthusiastic about working in a multicultural and interdisciplinary environment. 

• We offer a competitive full-time PhD scholarship for 1 year (renewable for another 3 years) in accordance with KU Leuven’s doctoral salary scale.
• KU Leuven offers additional benefits in terms of health insurance, public transport at reduced rates, free bicycle use, access to university sports facilities, childcare opportunities – among others. You can find more information on working conditions at KU Leuven on the below mentioned website. 
• KU Leuven offers opportunities to follow academic, skills and career training courses.  
• We offer a dynamic and multicultural work environment.
• The PhD position offers the opportunity to participate in a collaborative and interdisciplinary research project, and to participate in high-level policy dialogue with the public sector, private sector, and civil society actors.    

For more information please contact Prof. dr. ir. Miet Maertens, tel.: +32 16 32 65 36, mail: [email protected].