PhD: Sustainable business model development for agroecological farming in Africa

Job description
Today more than half of the planet's inhabitants live in cities and urbanization is projected to increase further. The world-wide migration of rural people to cities is particularly prominent in West-Africa. This leads to increased practicing of peri-urban agriculture, generating opportunities like new jobs and increased income from food production, but also bringing problems arising from pressures towards intensification of farming with attendant  environmental and human health risks.

URBANE is addressing this challenge of sustainable agriculture for food nutrition security, applying a One Health approach for tackling issues related to the application and intensification of peri-urban agriculture, as well as providing the necessary framework for its sustainable and safe application in different contexts. To achieve this, the project will be built around the principles of agroecology.

URBANE will build on the extensive experience in agroecology of its 28 partners in Africa and Europe. Its One Health approach and concept will be demonstrated through 6 case studies in Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, Benin, Burkina-Faso), while the scope for its transferability to other regions will also be studied and facilitated through specific tools.

TU/e is leader of a work package that aims to support the development of new business models that support the necessary transition of peri-urban farming towards agroecological farming concepts. New sustainable and inclusive business models will be worked out that support the URBANE approach, do justice to the local contexts, and include assessment of future upscaling potential to ensure long-term sustainable impact. The core of this work package will be formed by  two complementary PhD projects comprising both joint and individual work, building on insights from amongst others studies on sustainability transitions, sustainable business models, development studies and innovation management literature.

Your contribution
As a successful applicant, you will perform the research project outlined above as part of a small team at TU/e, including your supervisors and together collaborate with international partners in the URBANE work package. The research will be concluded with a PhD thesis. A modest teaching load will be part of the job.

The PhD candidates will team up with researchers in the Innovation, Technology Entrepreneurship & Marketing (ITEM) group.(https://www.tue.nl/en/research/research-groups/industrial-engineering/innovation-technology-entrepreneurship-marketing/ ).
The  project will be carried out in strong cooperation with the Technology, Innovation & Society (TIS) group of the same department IE&IS, where (co)supervision is organized. (https://www.tue.nl/en/research/research-groups/innovation-sciences/technology-innovation-society/ )