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PhD: Assessing Social Sustainability in Short Food Supply Chains
Wageningen University & Research is offering a fully funded PhD in its Law Group within the Horizon Europe project SOCIAL AGRI. The candidate will carry out a socio-legal study of short food supply chains in the Netherlands, examining how EU and Dutch law and policy shape them and their social sustainability, and help develop indicators and policy recommendations.
- Country
- Netherlands
- Experience
- Experience not specified
- Salary / stipend
- EUR 3,204 - 4,051 gross per month (CAO-NU scale P)
- Apply by
- 17 Nov 2026
- Job type
- Fellowship
- Work mode
- On-site
- Function
- Research
Who can apply
MSc in law, agricultural economics, food studies, rural sociology, social sciences or related
Review the original notice to confirm the requirements. Related degrees are not automatically equivalent; the recruiting organisation decides eligibility.
What you’ll do
- Develop and carry out a PhD research plan aligned with SOCIAL AGRI, focused on the Dutch short food supply chain case study
- Analyse EU and Dutch legal and policy frameworks affecting short food supply chains and social sustainability in agriculture
- Collect and analyse empirical evidence on social conditions and relationships in Dutch short food supply chains using qualitative methods such as interviews and stakeholder engagement
- Identify legal and regulatory barriers to socially sustainable practices
- Help develop policy recommendations, model regulatory or contract provisions and social-sustainability indicators with the consortium and stakeholders
- Contribute to comparative research, project meetings, workshops, publications and the academic life of the Law Group
What the employer asks for
- Completed master's in law, agricultural economics, food studies, rural sociology, social sciences or a closely related field; other backgrounds welcome with clear affinity for agri-food law and policy
- Good understanding of the EU legal and policy context
- Experience with qualitative methods such as semi-structured interviews or focus groups and multi-stakeholder processes, or clear ability to develop these
- Strong analytical, academic writing and communication skills
- Fluent Dutch and English at C1 level
- Able to work independently and in an interdisciplinary, international team, with good organisation and time management
Selection process
- Apply online by 17 November, 23:59 Amsterdam time
- First interviews will be held soon after the closing date
Documents to keep ready
- Up-to-date CV (max. 2 pages)
- Motivation letter (max. 1 page)
- Writing sample such as a master's thesis chapter or paper (max. 3 pages); total must not exceed 6 pages
- Mandatory additional information form linked from the vacancy
- Grades and transcripts are not needed at this stage
Pay, benefits and perks
- Gross salary €3,204 per month in year one rising to €4,051 in year four (CAO-NU scale P, 38 hours a week)
- 18-month contract, extended for the project's duration with good performance
- Fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%
- Pension scheme
- Partially paid parental leave and flexible working hours
- Campus sports facilities for a small fee
- Course programme tailored to the candidate
- Visa help for the candidate and family and Welcome Center support
About the employer
Wageningen University & Research combines Wageningen University and the Wageningen Research Foundation institutes, working on healthy food and the living environment, with about 7,600 employees and 13,100 students.
How to apply
Read the full notice and follow the instructions on the original application page.
Application deadline
Skills for this role
What employers ask for in Research (JRF / SRF / PhD / Postdoc) roles. named in this notice
- EU and Dutch agri-food law and policy
- Socio-legal research
- Semi-structured interviews and focus groups
- Stakeholder engagement
- Academic writing
- PhD
- Junior Research Fellow
- JRF
- Senior Research Fellow
- SRF
- Postdoctoral
- Research Associate
- Food Technology research
- GATE XL
- ICAR NET
- ASRB
Prepare for the interview
Questions commonly asked for Research (JRF / SRF / PhD / Postdoc) roles. Practise answers with an example and a number.
- Summarise your dissertation or main research project in two minutes for a non-specialist panel.
- Why this group or lab, and how does your experience fit the project described in the call?
- How did you design your experiments and choose the statistical analysis?
- Which analytical techniques have you used hands-on, and what were their limitations?
- What would be the first three months of work on this project if you were selected?
- Tell us about a result that did not work and what you did next.
Before you apply
- Read the original notice end to endDates, eligibility and the application route are decided by the employer, not by FSD.
- Tailor your resume to this vacancyMatch the keywords in the requirements. Resume Studio shows what is missing.
- Prepare a short research statementOne page on your project experience and why this group or call fits.
- Line up refereesMost calls ask for two or three referees; tell them in advance.
- Check the funding termsFellowship amount, duration, HRA and eligibility (NET / GATE) differ between calls.
Source & editorial check
Dutch at C1 level required. Social-science / food policy project rather than lab food science.
Original posting: 2026-10-27
Checked 2026-11-05 · Updated 2026-11-05
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