You will reinforce the team of economists of the MoISA unit (Montpellier Interdisciplinary Centre on Sustainable Agri-Food Systems – Social and Nutritional Sciences) working on the organisation of food supply systems and chains in Africa, in particular for cities.
On the theoretical level, you will apply spatial economics to the organisation of food flows between production, market and consumption areas. You will consider issues of distance vs. proximity, specialisation vs. land use diversification, food characteristics, logistics and economies of scale, while taking demographic dynamics into account. You will be able to apply the framework of value chain governance and collective action to explain the organisation of food flows.
On a methodological level, you will develop tools for representing food flows and modelling the effects of increasing the proximity between production and consumption areas and of logistical investments at different stages of supply chains on the economies of scale, changes in volumes and the cost of food. You will develop quantitative survey protocols on the organisation of food flows between production and consumption areas in terms of origin, intermediaries, transaction locations, storage and processing, taking the African context into account, particularly the highly seasonal nature of production. You will train African research partners in these representation, collection and modelling tools. With these partners, you will generate reliable and quantified data for the purposes of decision making and investment planning by national public authorities, municipalities and professional organisations. In particular, you will compare the effects of supply sources and of food transport, storage and marketing infrastructures on the monetary and energy costs of different spatial and organisational configurations.
You will seek funding to carry out your research by designing projects in partnership.
• PhD in economics or geography;
• Experience in market surveys
• Experience in flow representation and modelling;
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural environment;
• Experience in setting up a research project is desirable;
• Fluent French and English.
Location: After a year in Montpellier to consolidate the research project and partnership, and participate in on-going expertise work, the assignment will be in Africa.
Apply here
Closing date : 12/03/2023