Internship opportunity | Social Justice in the Agroecological movement – Boerengroep & Mycelia of Hope Project

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Are you dreaming of an agroecological world in which farming is inclusive and where allies can work together for a fair food system? Mycelia of Hope is looking for an intern who wants to work on the agroecological pillar of social justice and who wants to make Mycelia of Hope – and the broader agroecological movement – inclusive and caring for people who are marginalized, structurally disadvantaged or in precarious situations.


Mycelia of Hope is a working group within the agroecology movement, in which we build
bridges between farmers, activists and other allies. During our on-farm working days,
activists learn about agroecological practices and can share knowledge on (food) system change. At the same time, farmers can share practical knowledge on agroecology and provide a space to come together, learn and collaborate.


As inclusivity is a struggle in big parts of the European agroecological movement, Mycelia of Hope experiences difficulties in being inclusive and accessible for people in precarious situations. Therefore, we are looking for an intern who wants to help find practical solutions for both Mycelia of Hope and the whole agroecology movement.


Main responsibility
The internship is open for your own suggestions and together we will look at what is most in line with your own ideas. There are two main projects we want to work on: social justice within Mycelia of Hope and social justice within the (Dutch) agroecological movement. As an intern, you can pick one of these two to focus on and we can adjust the tasks accordingly.

Social Justice Mycelia
● Setting up a structure to connect migrants and farmers.
● Find potential ways to compensate migrants for farm work in a fair manner for both the farmer and migrant.
● Look into the legal aspects of the work, funding, and processes.
● Get in touch with other similar projects in different countries or on different topics.

Social Justice Agroecological Movement
● Organize a workshop/skillshare on inclusivity in the agroecological movement: invite people who work on this, who struggle with this or who found solutions.
● Perform a small research project on inclusivity/accessibility within the agroecological movement.
● Interviews/questionnaires with farmers who want to think with us about this topic.

Other Possible Responsibilities
● Share group facilitation with the other group members: Facilitate and coordinate the activities and meetings of the working group in a rotation with the other members of Mycelia of Hope
● Help to organize Farming Days
● Create a detailed agenda for our working days
● Website development

Requirements
● Passion for sustainable agriculture, agroecology, and inclusivity/social justice.
● Organizational and communication skills.
● Ability to work collaboratively in a diverse team environment.
● Ability to work independently
● Demonstrated experience in project coordination or related roles is a plus

What we offer
● A working space in Wageningen (or possibly in Amsterdam)
● A lot of freedom within the focus of the internship
● Horizontal teamwork
● Opportunity to meet our wide network in the agroecological movement
● An office dog

How to Apply
If you are enthusiastic about participating in transformative projects and believe in the
potential of Mycelia of Hope, please submit your resume, and a motivation letter outlining your relevant experience and personal motivation for joining the project, to
st.boerengroep@wur.nl. Please include reasons what you are enthusiastic about and how you would like to shape the topic into something you are passionate about.

Application Deadline: 30th of December

Start Internship: February 1st (date is flexible)

The Mycelia of Hope Project is an equal-opportunity employer. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences. Join us in cultivating sustainable change and fostering a sense of belonging within our community!

WASS Graduate Course | The Rural Everyday of Geopolitics, 13–16 January 2025

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There’s still time to register for this inspiring course – don’t miss out!
Register here.

We have entered a new era in the geopolitics of agriculture and rural livelihoods. The decline of the United States’ power, the rise of China, and an assertive stance of Russia, have resulted in a multipolar global order.

In this course, we will interrogate the ways in which geopolitical rivalries manifest themselves and are responded to, in rural areas around the world. Farm fields, as well as pastures and forests, have always been political domains, and the range of actors affecting rural livelihoods has become more diverse and complex in recent decades. It is imperative to weave geopolitics more strongly into analyses of trajectories of social, agrarian, and environmental change. 

Using various analytical lenses, and drawing on a rich variety of scholarly and non-academic works, this workshop will explore the rural everyday of geopolitical rivalries. We will depart from the macro-level to the micro-level and back again, to examine whether, how and to what extent transformations in rural livelihood portfolios and land use practices have reflected geopolitical rivalries in recent decades, for instance in terms of the influx and use of technology, crop and seed varieties; changes in production relations; and, farms’ integration into markets. Examining these dynamics, we will discuss a series of questions, including: to what extent are rural actors’ decisions and practices influenced by “grand politics”? Do geopolitics bear more heavily on rural livelihoods in one locality than in another, and if so, why? How or where does intersectionality come into play? How and to what extent have people resisted or reworked external interventions or influences, and, in aiming to understand responses: does it matter who is intervening? These questions will contribute to a better understanding of the extent to which geopolitics is embedded in rural social and agrarian change, and with what result.

The course engages the dialectic of structure and agency and addresses the importance of multi-scalar and comparative research approaches. We will attend not only to the ways in which rural communities have experienced geopolitics, but also to examine how they have responded to changes instigated by macro-level dynamics. 

Course coordination & lecturing by Irna Hofman.

Register here

Read more in the course guide:

WASS rural everyday geopolitics guideDownload

Photo: Irna Hofman, Tajikistan 2020

Advanced Metropolitan Solutions: Cultivating the Future of Urban Gardening 

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What can a city’s gardens tell us about its people?

Our colleague, Antonia Weiss, is shedding light on a novel approach to urban gardening through her research on the Wereldgroentetuinen (World Vegetable Gardens) in Amsterdam’s Nieuw-West neighborhood. This project taps into the gardening expertise and culinary heritage of immigrants, offering an inspiring model for inclusive and sustainable urban food systems.

Here’s what makes it remarkable:
>> 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀: A disused commercial greenhouse has become an oasis of diverse crops—sopropo, okra, tajerblad, peppers, melons, and more—thanks to the hands-on knowledge of residents whose food cultures span the globe.
>> 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: By honoring the agricultural traditions of immigrant communities, the project connects the past and future, highlighting how these skills can redefine urban food landscapes.
>> 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆: Beyond the harvest, these gardens are places of connection, where residents share stories, tips, and seeds of cultural exchange.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: In the global push for sustainable urban food systems, cultural diversity is often overlooked. As Antonia’s work reveals, cities like Amsterdam hold a wealth of food knowledge rooted in migration histories. Recognizing and mobilizing this heritage is essential to building resilient, inclusive, and innovative foodscapes.

𝗔 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: To policymakers and urban planners—let’s embrace the culinary heritage and creativity of immigrant communities as key drivers of the food transition. Together, we can grow a future where cities thrive on the diversity of their people.

📚 Read more about this groundbreaking research, supported by the AMS Institute, Wageningen University & Research, and Cascoland, and see how it’s cultivating a greener, more inclusive Amsterdam.

Bezoek Ministerie | Samenwerken aan een verantwoorde voedseltransitie

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Op woensdag 13 november mochten we het Ministerie van Landbouw, Visserij, Voedselzekerheid en Natuur verwelkomen. Een waardevol bezoek waarin we elkaar beter leerden kennen en zochten naar gemeenschappelijke gronden om elkaar te versterken.

Tijdens een inspirerend gesprek deelden we wat ons drijft in het werken aan een maatschappelijk verantwoorde transitie. Het is essentieel om elkaar te vinden op gedeelde waarden en zo een vruchtbare voedingsbodem voor samenwerking te creëren.

Samen kunnen we stappen zetten richting een duurzame en inclusieve toekomst.

#RuralProofing #JustFoodTransition #Samenwerking

Pre-launch | Citizen Engagement Library

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The CULTIVATE team at Wageningen University & Research is thrilled to announce the pre-launch of the Citizen Engagement Library! This resource is a growing collection of strategies, materials, and tools designed to foster greater participation among citizens, policymakers, and organizations in food-sharing activities.

From participatory budgeting and citizen assemblies to mobile kitchens and European-wide campaigns, there are countless ways to engage communities in shaping food systems, addressing challenges, and driving meaningful change. However, reliable, detailed information about these engagement mechanisms can be hard to find. That’s where we need your help!

We are seeking input to improve and expand the Citizen Engagement Library, and there are two ways you can contribute:

1. Fill Out the Citizen Engagement Library Survey

We’ve created a survey to introduce you to the Library and gather your feedback on its current format and content. Your input will help us make the Library as useful and accessible as possible!

👉 Take the Survey
📅 Deadline: December 5th

If you have any questions about the survey or the Library, feel free to contact Ana-Maria at ana-maria.gatejel@wur.nl.

2. Contribute Tools & Games

Do you know of a tool or game that would make a great addition to the Library? After completing the survey, you can:

  • Add an entry directly to the Library using the “Add Tool” or “Add Game” feature in the Citizen Engagement Library app, or
  • Email us the description and link to the tool or game at ana-maria.gatejel@wur.nl.

Explore the Library and Share with Your Networks

Check out the Citizen Engagement Library here:
citizenengagementlibrary.softr.app

Together, we can create a robust resource that empowers communities and fosters collaboration in food-sharing initiatives worldwide. Thank you for being part of this exciting journey! 

Warm regards,
The CULTIVATE Team