The Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems – Southern Africa (SHEFS-SA) consortium is a partnership between institutions in Malawi (MUBAS and LUANAR), South Africa (University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Institute of Natural Resources), Zimbabwe (University of Zimbabwe) and the United Kingdom (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Royal Veterinary College and University of London). The consortium is working to catalyse the transformation of Southern African food systems (focusing on Malawi, South Africa and Zimbabwe) and communities towards systems and communities that are healthy and resilient to climate risks. We will do this by: 

• undertaking SHEFS transdisciplinary research to shift the understanding of complex climate change (CC) challenges for health, as mediated by food systems, within particular contexts, translated into scalable solutions and policy recommendations with high impact;
• developing a transdisciplinary Community of Practice (CoP), led by the Global South, that contextualises and applies systems thinking within an expanded climate-sensitive SHEFS Framework to improve food security, food safety, nutrition, and health, including mental health; and (iii) developing a Global South-led cohort programme to train emerging scholars and practitioners in transdisciplinary research approaches at the intersection of Climate and Health.

The SHEFS-SA consortium will focus on providing actionable evidence for informed decision-making and identifying and developing practical solutions for CC mitigation and/or adaptation while evaluating in detail how their effects connect to health, including mental health, through food security, food safety and nutrition. The programme deepens our work in South Africa and will expand to include Zimbabwe and Malawi to ensure regional policy impact.

We invite applications for two (2) Postdoctoral Research and three (3) Research Assistant Positions focused on sustainable and healthy food systems (SHEFS) in Malawi. These positions will contribute to cutting-edge research in water, energy, food, environment, and health (WEFEH) systems under climate change, aiming to enhance the country's climate resilience, particularly at the community level.

Download the full advert below.