The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) seek applied agricultural economists to join our international team of scientists working on improving the livelihoods of maize and wheat farmers in the developing world. As a member of the CIMMYT Socioeconomics Program and in collaboration with public, private, local and international partners, you will explore technological and institutional innovations that open new opportunities for resource-poor farmers, help researchers and policy makers understand social and economic constraints to farmer technology adoption, and translate your vision into a productive and exciting research agenda. Rooted in a strong culture of high-quality agricultural economics and social science research, the CIMMYT Socioeconomics Program has a team of qualified and motivated scientists operating in different regions and working closely with biophysical scientists. These positions will be based in either of CIMMYT’s regional hubs in Africa or South Asia.
Primary research objectives include:
Analysis of the drivers of change and options for agricultural productivity growth, food security and sustainable intensification in cereal based systems.Improving the understanding of farmers’ economic incentives and adoption constraints under different agro-ecological and socioeconomic settings.Analysis of technology adoption pathways and differential impacts on poverty, gender, and food security for targeting technology and policy interventions.Developing institutional innovations for enhancing farmer access to and use of promising technologies, inputs and output markets for income growth and food security.Policy options for supporting the development and diffusion of climate smart and sustainable agriculture for enhancing adaptation and reducing vulnerability to climate change in maize and wheat systems.Your job will require that you:
Work with a team of scientists to understand men and women farmers’ choices of new technologies and adoption constraints.Define potential tradeoffs and identify more profitable, low risk and sustainable intensification options in target systems.Analyze value chains to develop inclusive institutional innovations that improve access to seeds, other inputs and markets.Indentify adoption pathways and evaluate impacts on food security, income and livelihoods for target groups.Develop policy recommendations and decision tools for targeting the poor and enhancing technology diffusion and adoption.Publish research findings and contribute to dissemination of results to stakeholders.Contribute to the capacity building of farmers and partners.Participate in center-wide and program strategy development and priority setting.We are seeking candidates with the following qualifications:
PhD in Agricultural Economics or related discipline from a highly recognized university.Relevant postdoctoral experience of at least 2 years (associate scientist), 5 years (scientist) or 8 years (senior scientist) – new PhDs may also be considered in regions where senior scientists are available for mentorship.Relevant publications in international peer-reviewed journals in agricultural economics.Good understanding of the challenges of productivity growth, sustainability and food security in developing regions.Experience in combining applied quantitative methods with qualitative approaches to study complex farming systems.Extensive knowledge of econometric methods and software (e.g. STATA, GAMS, etc) for analysis of survey data. Knowledge of other economic modeling methods (e.g. household modeling, bioeconomic modeling, spatial analysis, etc) will be an advantage.An effective and energetic team player with the ability to work in a multidisciplinary and multi-cultural environment.Excellent oral communication and writing skills in English to express complex concepts in simple terms.The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, known by its Spanish acronym, CIMMYT® , is a not-for-profit research and training organization with partners in over 100 countries. The center works to sustainably increase the productivity of maize and wheat systems and thus ensure global food security and reduce poverty. The center's outputs and services include improved maize and wheat varieties and cropping systems, the conservation of maize and wheat genetic resources, and capacity building. CIMMYT belongs to and is funded by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) and also receives support from national governments, foundations, development banks, and other public and private agencies.
CIMMYT has had enormous impact in the developing world. It is the center of excellence for work on two of the three most important food crops in the developing world. Its most famous employee, Dr. Norman Borlaug, is credited by many with saving more lives than any other individual in the history of the world. Borlaug’s work dramatically increased yields of wheat in the Indo-Gangetic plains in the 1960s and 1970s, staving off starvation for hundreds of millions. For this work, Borlaug received the Nobel Prize in 1970. Scores of other CIMMYT efforts have saved or enriched millions of lives, from releasing disease-resistant varieties and varieties resistant to drought and heat and soil deficiencies, to dispersing techniques to reduce farmer costs and post-harvest losses. In developing countries, wheat varieties developed by CIMMYT and its partners cover 75% of the area planted to modern wheat varieties.
The initial appointment is for three years, with possible renewals based on performance. CIMMYT offers an attractive remuneration package paid in US dollars, with a range of benefits including housing allowance, life and health insurance, education allowance (for pre-school, elementary, secondary, and other pre-university grade levels), home leave, retirement fund, and relocation shipping assistance.CIMMYT is an equal-opportunity employer and strives for staff diversity in gender and nationality.
