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POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE (PDRA) OPPORTUNITY

Exploring the role of participatory gastronomic experiences in social change: Engaging with Cape Floristic Region wild foods through a Community of Practice

This PDRA presents an exciting opportunity to engage creatively with the indigenous foods of the Cape region, exploring the role of carefully curated and facilitated gastronomic experiences in opening opportunities for active social change.

BACKGROUND

The Local WILD Food Hub (LWFH) is an initiative that sees the Cape Floristic Region’s (CFR) diversity of forgotten and ignored plant foods become known, understood, loved, grown and eaten as a part of daily life. LWFH activities, of which several are based at the Sustainability Institute (SI) in Lynedoch, revitalise relationships with local foods — where they come from, what we know about them, and how to make them readily available to be cooked and eaten. It acknowledges that human health and wellbeing are intrinsically tied to a healthy, functioning planet supported by fair and just indigenous food and biosphere stewardship practices.

THE LWFH COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

The LWFH and the SI have been partnering with the DSTI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security (hosted by the University of the Western Cape and co-hosted by the University of Pretoria) since 2023 on hosting a LWFH Community of Practice (CoP). It is a participatory platform that convenes multistakeholder, cross-sector engagements to grapple with the risks, barriers and opportunities for attaining fair and just engagement with local indigenous foods and food environments. The LWFH CoP’s multi-stakeholder gatherings have, to date, surfaced and explored stakeholders’ concerns, prioritising that the evolution of its participatory engagements and focus areas follow an emergent path, while promoting that participants self-organise collaborations where shared visions of change align.

THE RESEARCH THEME

This research invites a deeper exploration through the lens of gastronomic landscapes, by intentionally engaging curated groups of stakeholders in participatory gastronomic experiences, to explore the role of pivot-making in social change. We propose that participant reflections that digest the observations and questioning that pivot-making experiences elicit, are where the openings for social change are revealed, in iterative processes guided by carefully curated facilitation.

This work of curating and capturing moments of pivot-making and participants’ reflections on such experiences, is one of the most fragile and barely-visible passages in catalysing social change. It makes the ways of co-curating, observing, capturing and describing what is taking place a crucial role that the research associate will be required to play in this creatively experimental social change endeavour.

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

The candidate will engage closely with the LWFH project lead/Cape wild foods expert in conceptualising, planning, running, reflecting on and analysing feedback from gastronomic experiences that are part of the LWFH CoP’s activities. They will be required to become familiar with the CoP’s past activities captured through its reporting, and will synthesise new data from events with past results, understanding that new methodologies are in play. They will publish at least one journal article on research findings, will share about the project in the CoE-FS, LWFH and SI’s newsletters annually, and will contribute to webinars, conferences or presentations as opportunities arise. They will contribute to CoP steering committee meetings and assist in reporting on the research activities to the committee, stakeholder participants, the SI and the CoE-FS.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

The candidate will have a PhD in the field of food systems or a related social science topic. Experience in the ethical convening and gathering, storing and analysing of verbal and written participant reflections on multi-stakeholder engagements is an essential requirement. Event planning and management skills are essential; experience in hosting and facilitating multistakeholder gatherings is advantageous. An understanding of the challenges of the local food system is desirable, including an interest in its impact on local ecologies and food traditions. Familiarity with CFR indigenous foods is advantageous but not essential. If lacking, the postdoc will (with guidance from the PI) need to familiarise themselves with the field. Good written and spoken English are requirements, with some proficiency in written and spoken Afrikaans and spoken isiXhosa being advantageous.

DURATION

One-year position starting in 2026, with the possibility of extending for a second year.

START DATE

As soon as possible, but no later than the end of May 2026.

REMUNERATION

Standard NRF rates for Postdoctoral positions (R320k). There is a research budget managed by the LWFH for running “Gastronomic Experience” events.

RSVP REQUIREMENTS

Email Loubie Rusch at localwild@sustainabilityinstitute.net by 20th April 2026. Please include a letter of motivation and a CV.

GRANTOR, MENTORSHIP AND LOCATION OF ACTIVITIES

The grantor is the NRF, through the DSTI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security, University of the Western Cape. Primary guidance will be from the Local WILD Food Hub lead, with links to the Agriculture Nutrition Health Academy at the faculty of Agrisciences, University of Stellenbosch and to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. CoP activities will mostly be hosted at the Sustainability Institute in Lynedoch.

Download the full call, including footnotes with links for further reading, here.