The WWF is a leading conservation organization; our half-century of conservation success is rooted firmly in science.WWF has worked in Markets and Food for over a decade with the acknowledgement that the biggest threat to our mission has long been where and how we produce food. Now those impacts are being exacerbated by increased populations, increasing income, shifts in consumption patterns, and climate change.
This internship provides an opportunity for a labor economics student to contribute to research at the intersection of environmental and financial sustainability. The Next California project is examining whether some of the food we currently produce in California, which grows half of all vegetables and more than 2/3 of all fruits and nuts in the US, could be better situated from both a financial and environmental viewpoint in the Mississippi Delta region. However, a key question arises around labor. Right now, California depends heavily on migrant labor to harvest its fruit and vegetables. The Mississippi Delta region largely grows commodity row crops, which are harvested mechanically. If they are to switch to growing specialty produce, the region will need to build or attract a labor force to pick those crops, which cannot be harvested mechanically in most cases. Understanding if and how that is possible, how to accomplish it, and what it means for the financial feasibility of growing these crops will be key.
- Examine the current labor market in the Mississippi Delta (eastern Arkansas, western Tennessee, northwestern Mississippi, southeastern Missouri) and the River Valley area of Arkansas
- Analyze the gaps between the current and needed labor market
- Analyze existing federal, state, and local policy affecting agricultural labor in these areas
- Determine the main hurdles to building/attracting an appropriate labor force: is it policy? Incentives? Education? Something else?
- Conduct outreach to determine feasibility of implementing needed changes
- Produce a white paper analyzing what is needed and summarizing key findings
- Develop high-level financial model of what labor system would cost to state, to individual growers, and to any other key stakeholders
- Part-time (10-12 hours/week)
- Excellent research, writing, and analytical skills, as well as attention to detail
- Ability to work productively on both independent research assignments and as part of a team
- Proactive problem-solving and effective communication skills (written and verbal)
- Familiarity with the Mississippi Delta region a plus