Doctoral Position in Food Waste Supply Chains
ETH Zurich
Doctoral Position in Food Waste Supply Chains
100%, Zurich, fixed-term
We are looking for a PhD student with joint appointment in ETH’s (i) Food Systems Economics and Policy group (FSEP), led by Prof. Eva-Marie Meemken, and (ii) Global Health Engineering group (GHE), led by Prof. Elizabeth Tilley.
Project background
You will work on the project “FLOWERS-Facilitating Local Organic Waste Exchange for Regenerative Systems”.
In rapidly urbanizing areas of Uganda and Malawi, organic waste from restaurants, food vendors and university canteens is often mismanaged (e.g., openly dumped or burnt), resulting in nutrient loss, environmental pollution, and missed opportunities for sustainable food systems. Meanwhile, smallholder farmers face declining soil fertility, low crop yields, and limited access to affordable soil amendments or livestock feed, increasing their vulnerability to climate stress and threatening food security. As the restaurant sector continues to grow, its higher waste volumes and easier supply chain potential compared to households make it a strategic intervention point. In Kampala, Uganda, informal waste supply chains already connect restaurants with traders and farms, demonstrating a resilient and efficient system. However, these flows remain understudied and undocumented. To strengthen this value chain, we must not only analyse how and why existing systems work but also map the waste flows of restaurants that do not participate. Understanding their motivations and operational barriers will help identify ways to expand the network and strengthen the value chain. By building on what works and tapping into unused potential, the project aims to co-design scalable, locally appropriate solutions. This approach will also be adapted to Malawi, where organic waste supply chains are less developed, allowing the project to generate comparative evidence on barriers and enablers across systems. The disconnect between nutrient-rich urban organic waste and nutrient-poor rural soils represents a critical and solvable food and nutrition challenge. The FLOWERS project directly targets this gap by mapping and analyzing waste flows, identifying supply chain intervention to increase trade and reuse of organic waste, and piloting scalable waste treatment solutions like composting, Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming, or anaerobic digestion (AD). It will also generate insights into the scalability and replicability for other rapidly urbanizing areas.
The selected will conduct surveys (of restaurants, organic waste traders, and farmers), supply chain interventions to increase waste trade, and several outreach activities.
Our project partners are the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) in Switzerland, Makerere University in Uganda, End Plastic Pollution and Waste Advisers in Malawi.
Job description
- Based on the overall project‘s objectives, you will develop a doctoral proposal, which specifies research questions, methodological approaches, courses you want to take, and a time plan
- With support from the groups and partners, you will plan and implement a survey to collect primary data from restaurants, organic waste traders, and farmers
- These quantitative survey data will be complemented with qualitative interviews with different supply chain actors
- After data collection, you will analyze your data and present your findings (in the form of scientific papers, conference and seminar presentations, and non-scientific outreach activities, e.g., blog posts, videos, and workshops)
- The position involves several months of data collection in Uganda (Kampala and surrounding area)
You will work in an excellent and inspiring research and learning environment, allowing you to strengthen and gain diverse skills (e.g., data analysis, presentation skills, project management), develop and implement creative ideas, and develop your professional network. You will work both independently and in collaboration with others on different tasks. The position does not involve regular teaching tasks but offers opportunities to gain experience in this area. The position is scheduled for 4 years. Salary and social benefits are provided according to ETH Zurich rules.
Profile
- You hold (or will soon hold) a MSc degree in development/agricultural economics or a related field and you have first experiences collecting (survey) data
- You are excited about collecting and analyzing survey data
- You took classes in statistics and econometrics, gained practical skills in this area (e.g., data analysis for your MSc thesis), and you seek to develop your skills further
- You enjoy working independently but also embrace opportunities to discuss, interact, and collaborate with others
- You have excellent English written and spoken language skills
Workplace
We offer
- You will work in an excellent and inspiring research and learning environment, allowing you to strengthen and gain diverse skills (e.g., data analysis, presentation skills, project management), develop and implement creative ideas, and develop your professional network.
- You will work both independently and in collaboration with others on different tasks.
- The position does not involve regular teaching tasks but offers opportunities to gain experience in this area.
- The starting date is June 2026. The position is scheduled for 4 years. Salary and social benefits are provided according to ETH Zurich rules.
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Curious? So are we.
We look forward to receiving your online application until February 27, 2026, with the following documents:
- CV (max. 2 pages). Please indicate whether you have experiences collecting data (what type and where; and what your role was)
- Diplomas
- Copy of your MSc thesis (or term paper if the thesis is not yet submitted)
- Summary of your MSc thesis (max. 1 page)
- 2 scientific references (and contact details) who can be contracted (do not attach recommendation letters)
- Link to GitHub repository you created (optional, if you don’t have one)
Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.
If you have any questions, please contact Prof. Eva-Marie Meemken; emeemken@ethz.ch or Prof. Elizabeth Tilley: tilleye@ethz.ch (no applications).