PhD on Effectively steering the regenerative agriculture transition

Your job

There is steadily growing pressure on agriculture and the entire food system to align global production with improved sustainability in terms of farmers' incomes, soil health, input use, and environmental impact. Regenerative agriculture is a promising avenue to support a healthy, multi-functional and future-proof soil and farming system. Are you interested in the governance of fostering a transition towards regenerative agriculture?

The ReGENL project aims to develop a future-proof agricultural sector in which agriculture goes hand in hand with soil health, nature restoration, and a good revenue model for farmers. Between now and 2030, ReGeNL will support the transition to regenerative agriculture with 1000 farmers. The aim is to make regenerative agriculture the new normal by 2040. The project aims to be an accelerator for the transition to a regenerative, profitable and socially supported agricultural sector. It is embedded in a large consortium of partners from farming, processing to retail, banking and education.

Within the ReGeNL project, this specific PhD position focuses on the governance of a transition towards regenerative agriculture. In order to recognize the contributions of farms to environmental and social outcomes, both public and private actors have developed numerous sustainability programs and incentives. These initiatives employ a variety of policy instruments (e.g., price premiums or pricing negative impacts) and governance approaches (e.g., collaborative or market-based governance) to encourage the adoption of regenerative farming practices. This PhD project aims to better understand the opportunities and challenges in effectively and legitimately steering the agricultural and food systems towards more regenerative outcomes.

This PhD will be based within the Public Administration and Policy group, in collaboration with the Animal Production Systems group, both at Wageningen University & Research. As such, the position is situated on the interface of social and agricultural sciences. You will get the opportunity to develop and execute your own research proposal within the larger scope of the project. As a PhD you will receive support and mentorship in the design and implementation of your PhD project. You will develop a training and supervision plan with your supervisory team and be part of the ReGeNL training program on Regenerative Agriculture.

Your qualities

You have:

• A completed master’s degree in a field related to the topic of the PhD project, such as political science, sustainability science, environmental science or an adjacent field (with proven affinity with governance theories and debates)
• Affinity with societal challenges in the domains of agriculture and food systems
• Curiosity and motivation to address real-world challenges through rigorous academic inquiry, while working in a transdisciplinary project with many project partners and farmers
• Experience with or interest in qualitative social science research methods
• Excellent language proficiency in English and Dutch
• Excellent scientific writing and presenting skills

We offer you

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• Partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.901 - per month rising to € 3.707,-  in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU)  (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Do you want more information?

For more information about this position, please contact Jeroen Candel, Associate Professor, Jeroen.candel@wur.nl or Evelien de Olde, Assistant Professor, evelien.deolde@wur.nl

For more information about the procedure you can contact Recruitment Support via recruitment.support@wur.nl

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including January 20^th 2025. A first round of interviews is expected to take place on 28^th of January 2025.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

We are

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!


We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.