Postdoc on the Politics of EU Sustainable Agricultural and Food Policies

The Department of Sustainable Development is seeking an enthusiastic and research-dedicated postdoctoral researcher in the politics of EU sustainable agricultural and food policies to join our team.

Your job
European food systems are highly productive but also face substantial sustainability challenges, including ongoing biodiversity loss, water pollution, and the emission of greenhouse gases. The European Commission has therefore high ambitions regarding food system transformation towards sustainability, as outlined in for instance the Farm to Fork strategy. However, lobby and farmer protests have contributed to a watering down of ambitions. At the same time, it appears to be very hard to increase sustainability objectives in the EU Common Agricultural Policy, which, because of its high budget, has a strong influence on the agricultural sector. And whereas the agricultural sector has a substantial impact on water quality, the implementation of mitigating measures by farmers is largely voluntary under the EU Water Framework Directive.

The questions you will research are, for example: What explains this lack of policy integration and policy coherence regarding agricultural sustainability? What explains the persistence of this situation, and, moreover, what is needed to break through patterns of policy disintegration and incoherence, in order to effectively address sustainability challenges associated with European food systems?

The tasks will involve:

• conducting research on European food and agricultural policy and politics;
• (help) developing interdisciplinary consortia and research proposals;
• expanding our network of scientists, policy-makers, and stakeholders at EU level and actively engage in societal impact activities;
• contributing to education (10%) and enhancing the European dimension, especially the level 3 course ‘Transforming Food Systems’ in the Global Sustainability Sciences (GSS) Bachelor's programme.

The ideal candidate:

• holds a PhD degree in (European) agricultural or environmental politics, policy, governance, sustainability transitions, or another relevant social-scientific background and with a strong affinity with sustainable food system governance;
• has experience with empirical research;
• is able to work in an interdisciplinary team and to interact with a wide range of stakeholders;
• has an excellent English proficiency (C1 level);
• is willing to teach and preferably has some experience.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

The Postdoctoral researcher will be hosted at Utrecht University's Faculty of Geosciences. This Faculty studies the Earth: from the Earth's core to its surface, including man's spatial and material utilisation of the Earth - always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation.

The postdoctoral researcher will be embedded in the Department of Sustainable Development. Sustainable food is one of the core themes of the research programme of the Copernicus Institute and becoming more and more prominent in our teaching programmes, especially in the Global Sustainability Sciences (GSS) bachelor programme and the CHARM-EU master programme. Sustainable food is also one of the areas in which we aim to enhance our societal impact. In the last few years, a series of research projects and impact activities have enhanced our visibility on sustainable food in the Dutch policy landscape. However, at the European level we are less visible.

The postdoc position will help diversify the scientific basis of the new Sustainable Food System Governance chair and reinforce collaboration between colleagues working on sustainable and healthy food in different sections of the Department, we well as with colleagues at different faculties through the Future Food Utrecht network. Organisationally, the position will be embedded in the Environmental Governance Section. You will be supervised by Professor Hens Runhaar and Dr Koen Beumer from the Innovation Studies Section.

We offer:

• a position until September 2027 (3 years in total);
• a working week of 32 - 40 hours and a gross monthly salary between €3,226 and €5,090 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale 10 under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU);
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating professional development, leave schemes and schemes for sports and cultural activities, as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

For more information about the position, please contact Professor Hens Runhaar via h.a.c.runhaar@uu.nl.

Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.