Identify land use visions of stakeholder groups on agricultural production and biodiversity conservation to co-produce sustainable futures for Brazil’s Cerrado.

Do you care about impacts of land use on the livelihoods of various groups of people in ecologically sensitive regions of the world? Do you want to explore what kind of land use futures the people aspire? And are you eager to bring these perspectives together to co-produce promising pathways towards sustainable land use futures? Then this PhD position at the Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning of Utrecht University may be for you!

Your job

The MATOPIBA region in the Brazilian Cerrado is of major national and global importance: it is one of South America’s most agriculturally productive landscapes, a biodiversity hotspot, and home to Indigenous people, Quilombola, smallholder farmers, and large agribusinesses among others. Therefore, future land use strategies in MATOPIBA require balancing agricultural production with biodiversity conservation and social justice, while also accounting for the effects of climate change. In this position, you will contribute to co-producing such land use strategies by interacting with the different stakeholder groups, including policy makers, to understand how agricultural production and biodiversity impact various people’s livelihoods. Methodologically, you will use qualitative methods such as field observations, focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, and participatory/ co-creation of maps.

More specifically, you will:

• Travel to Brazil to conduct field research through which you interact with various actor groups and stakeholders such as policy makers and private sectors in land use in MATOPIBA;
• Discover their preferences in terms of ‘productive agriculture’ and ‘healthy biodiversity’ through focus groups and semi-structured interviews;
• Facilitate exercises of participatory mapping to co-create maps to identify desired land use futures for various groups;
• Further discuss and document the potential of alternative land use futures with the stakeholders in public, private, and civil society sectors; and
• Write academic articles and policy documents that summarize the above to generate and disseminate knowledge on the possible pathways to sustainable land use futures in MATOPIBA.

This PhD position is part of the project “Frontiers of MATOPIBA landscapes”, which examines how agricultural production and biodiversity conservation can be balanced in Brazil’s MATOPIBA region under future climate and socio-economic conditions. It has the aim to support evidence-based decisions to form sustainable, just, climate-resilient land use strategies that protect biodiversity, food security, and local livelihoods. The project is fully funded through the Dutch Research Agenda and the Brazilian research council CNPq. Within the project, you will closely collaborate with another PhD candidate at Utrecht University on spatial optimization of land use, as well as with several consortium members in Brazil, and the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) at the Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Your qualities

We are looking for candidates with:

• An MSc degree in (or nearing completion of) an MSc program in Human Geography, International Development Studies, Critical Agrarian Studies, or a related Social Science discipline;
• An interest in the impacts of land use on the environment and the livelihoods of people;
• Experience in qualitative field research and working with diverse groups of people and stakeholders;
• Proficiency in Portuguese;
• Proficiency in English; and
• The ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary research team.

The following qualifications are desirable but not required:

• Experience with participatory GIS and mapping techniques; or
• Experience with working with rural communities, Indigenous peoples and/or Quilombola.

Our offer

We offer:

• a position (1.0 FTE) for 1 year, with an extension to a total of four years upon a successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period;
• a working week of 36 - 40 hours and a gross monthly salary between € 3.204 and €4.051 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

About us

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

More information

For more information about this position, please contact Kei Otsuki at [email protected]

Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.

Apply now

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To apply, please send your curriculum vitae, including a letter of motivation, via the ‘apply now’ button.

The interviews for this position will take place on October 26th. The aimed starting date is January 1st 2027.