We’re looking for economists!

World Coffee Research (WCR) is a 501(c)5 non-profit agricultural research organization formed by the global coffee industry to drive collaborative innovation to ensure the future of coffee. WCR invests in coffee agricultural research to improve coffee productivity, coffee quality, climate resilience, and farmer livelihoods to support origin diversity (the continued availability of high-quality coffee from many producing countries). Our 26-member team lives in 15 countries. WCR’s annual operating budget of $4 million is made possible by coffee industry membership contributions complemented by public sector support.

Background

WCR seeks to support the development of systems that ensure productive, high quality coffee varieties are available and accessible for farmers in WCR focus countries. WCR’s member companies seek to strengthen planting material supply systems to reduce farmer risk as well as increase stability of supply from key countries. However, coffee planting material supply chains face quality assurance challenges associated with genetic purity and plant health.

WCR has focused on the development of low cost technologies (low density SNP panel) to support quality assurance, but seeks to implement additional activities that will be most important for facilitating and stimulating access to and demand for quality planting material. In particular, WCR needs to understand how we can support efforts to streamline and improve the functioning of planting material supply chains in key countries, including country-specific market dynamics, cultural and institutional / organizational factors, and the policy environment to support efforts to create more effective policy and/or market solutions to ensure farmers can get the planting material they need. WCR intends to use this insight to develop an investment and partnership roadmap to reduce farmer risk and the coffee industry’s risk associated with planting material input supply chains.

More about the role

We are developing a roster of consultants available for short term assessments (10-30 days per consultancy) with expertise in and knowledge of seed sector issues—including market factors and policy context—that shape coffee planting material supply chains. As these consultancies are intended to guide significant levels of investment in addressing planting material supply chain challenges, we want to ensure the highest quality and rigor of studies undertaken. All consultancies will be guided by feedback from external peer reviewers to ensure the proposed approach and interpretation of results are reasonable and rigorous.

We plan to commission a study in 1-2 of WCR’s focus countries in Latin America in Q3 2022, with additional studies in WCR focus countries over the next 18-24 months.

Why work with World Coffee Research?

We are ensuring the future of coffee. Simply put, if you love coffee, and you want to be a part of a global team working to grow, protect, and enhance supplies of quality coffee while improving the livelihoods of the families who produce it—you’ve come to the right place! We’re looking for a collaborative, nimble and curious team player who likes to solve problems that matter, embraces accountability, and is ready to adopt a spirit of kaizen. If this sounds like you, please keep reading to learn more.

Qualifications

Education and experience

• Demonstrated knowledge of seed sector issues (policy and/or market dynamics), especially planting material supply chains for vegetatively propagated crop species.
• Preferred MS or Ph.D. in economics or related discipline or equivalent professional experience.
• Consulting experience.

Language skills

In addition to the ability to speak and write professionally in English, we seek consultants with any of the following language skills:

• Spanish
• French
• Bahasa

Timing

Consultants will be engaged on a rolling basis, starting July 1, 2022.

Compensation

Compensation will be based on the market rate. This is a consultant position, this is not full-time employment.

How to apply

Please email a resume and cover letter that describes your experience to info@worldcoffeeresearch.org with “Seed Sector Roster” in the subject line.

As we receive qualified applications, we will notify individuals if they have been added to the roster. For those added to the roster, based on language skills, we will invite applicants to submit a proposal for the specific consultancies that will be identified over the next 24 months.

For very experienced applicants, we welcome your interest in serving as a peer reviewer of consultancies. If you are interested in serving as a peer reviewer, please indicate this in your cover letter.