Project Background:

The world stands at the threshold of an enormous opportunity to create a new inclusive economy that is climate- and nature-positive. Leading companies and governments are commiting to reversing climate change and nature loss, and they have mobilized resources and investments to do so at an unprecedented scale.

Food processors and other agribusinesses are optimal entry points to build food systems in this regenerative vision. To this end, TechnoServe programs will work with food processors to reduce waste, use renewable energy, source from smallholders who adopt regenerative practices, and provide affordable and nutritious food to millions of consumers.

The Alliance for Inclusive and Nutritious Food Processing (AINFP) is a regional program funded by USAID and implemented by TechnoServe in collaboration with Partners in Food Solutions (PFS). The program leverages the power of the private sector to create better nutritional outcomes for base-of-the-pyramid consumers and more profitable market opportunities for local farmers by supporting local food processing companies in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia. This support includes remote technical assistance and training from world leading food processing companies under PFS to increase the availability of safe, affordable and nutritious food. However, a few crucial questions remain to be answered at the nexus of improved business performance for food processors and the transition to low-carbon, inclusive, and regenerative food systems that create benefits for people, climate and nature.

Objective:

To address these questions, the Intern AINFP will develop a regenerative food processing learning brief (briefs or longer white paper) based on feedback provided by project participants and local stakeholders. The deliverable will answer the following questions:

• What regenerative and circular practices are food processors already implementing in AINFP target countries, and/or which practices are they interested in implementing?
• What tools currently exist to measure the emissions footprints of local processors in these market contexts, and what gaps should TechnoServe fill in the verification and monitoring of these emissions, if any?
• What are the opportunities and barriers towards carbon capture and/or offsets by food processors in these market contexts?
• What interest, opportunities, and risks do local processors express with regards to sourcing from smallholders employing regenerative practices?
• Based on the above, what are the priority needs and opportunities that TechnoServe should address through its support to food processors and local food systems?

Responsibilities:

Reporting to the AINFP Chief of Party Liz Eckert, and in collaboration with the AINFP and program teams, the Intern will:

• Develop a survey assessing 1) existing circular practices (e.g. waste diverted, water waste/processing, use of renewable energy) implemented by AINFP’s participating processors, 2) existing methods to monitor outcomes from those practices, and 3) processors’ interest in improving their performance in any of these areas.
• Engage with AINFP participants and local stakeholders, and conduct desk research to understand existing measurement tools for processors’ greenhouse gas emissions.
• Assess opportunities for TechnoServe to improve those measurement tools, as relevant.
• Conduct human-centered research activities to understand processors’ interest in sourcing from smallholder farmers employing regenerative practices, and the perceived risks and opportunities for these inclusive sourcing schemes.
• Consolidate learnings from the above assessments into a learning brief/s for AINFP project teams and TechnoServe’s Global Regenerative Business practice.

Desired Qualifications and Experience:

• Candidate in a relevant Master’s program or candidate with a recently awarded relevant post-graduate degree
• Experience with relevant regenerative topics, e.g. circular business models, regenerative agriculture, inclusive business plans, Greenhouse Gas protocol and measurement tools
• Survey design experience
• Data analysis experience
• Stakeholder mapping experience
• Experience working in multicultural environments with a broad range of stakeholders
• Experience in compiling and writing comprehensive reports with both primary and secondary data, including reviewing and revising output collaboratively with project stakeholders

This internship is open to graduate program candidates who are available to work 20 - 40 hours per week for at least 8 weeks. Applicants must have US internship work eligibility. TechnoServe will not provide sponsorship.

We encourage all qualified individuals who share TechnoServe's vision of improving the lives of others through proven business solutions to apply.

With our commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and affirmative action employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, HIV/AIDS status, protected veteran status, disability and all other protected classes.

We are also proud of our commitment to protecting staff, partners, and beneficiaries from abuse and exploitation and thoroughly vet all final candidates through rigorous background and reference checks.

If you have a disability that affects your ability to use our online system to apply for a position at TechnoServe please contact the Human Resources at recruitment@tns.org or call +1 202 785 4515.