Junior research scientist in microeconomic modelling of food demand

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INRAE presentation

The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (INRAE) is a public research establishment under the dual authority of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Research.

INRAE is recruiting researchers by open competition and offering permanent position.

It is a major player in research and innovation created on 1^st of January 2020. INRAE is a research institute resulting from the merger of INRA and IRSTEA. It is a community of 12,000 people with more than 200 research units and 42 experimental units located throughout France.

The institute is among the world leaders in agricultural and food sciences, in plant and animal sciences, and is 11^th in the world in ecology and environment. INRAE’s main goal is to be a key player in the transitions necessary to address major global challenges. In the face of the increase in population, climate change, scarcity of resources and decline in biodiversity, the institute develops solutions for multiperformance agriculture, high quality food and sustainable management of resources and ecosystems.

Work environment, missions and activities

The Interdisciplinary Research Center on Sustainable Agri-food Systems, or MoISA, is a research unit under the aegis of INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, IAMM, and Institut Agro Montpellier. The unit gathers researchers in economics, sociology, management, and nutrition. Your research will be conducted as part of the team working in the unit’s subsection SAND “Toward sustainable food and nutritional security for populations.”  This team brings together 14 epidemiologists, 8 economists, and a geographer, who work on food and nutritional security for populations in both the Global North and the Global South.
Your research will be part of the group analyzing food transitions and will be conducted in the framework of the INRAE Syalsa meta-program (food systems and human health). You will develop demand models for exploring ways to change consumer behavior toward more sustainable, nutritional food within the constraining context of purchasing power. You will delve into the issue of the optimal diet’s acceptability in terms of consumers' utility. You will also look at the effects of the food environment on consumption, for example, the format of food distribution and catering, information on foodstuffs and their production, and taxes on ultra-processed products, particularly in the context of DROMs (overseas departments and regions of France). You will measure the impact of wealth inequality on the consumption of essential goods and on the nutrition of poor households.

Training and skills

Candidates must have a PhD in Economics (or equivalent).
Solid experience in microeconomic modeling is required. Your career path should demonstrate the ability to process microeconomic data using statistics and econometrics and to work as a team. An appetite for interdisciplinarity is welcome.
Fluency in English is preferable as well as long-term international experience: the successful candidate who has not yet had such an experience will have to complete a stay abroad at the end of the first year.

INRAE's life quality

By joining our teams, you benefit from:

- 30 days of annual leave + 15 days "Reduction of Working Time" (for a full time);
- parenting support: CESU childcare, leisure services;
- skills development systems: training, career advise;
- social support: advice and listening, social assistance and loans;
- holiday and leisure services: holiday vouchers, accommodation at preferential rates;
- sports and cultural activities;
- collective catering.

For international scientists: please visit your guide to facilitate your arrival and stay at INRAE.