About the Program

Food Program

The WRI Africa Food Program supports the transformation of food systems in Africa to address food and nutritional insecurity, while achieving broader goals for people, nature, and climate. The program focuses on three priority areas:

Sustainable, nature-positive agriculture, including agroecology and regenerative farming to improve soil health and smallholder yields.

Reducing food loss and waste across the food system.

Shifting diets toward diverse, nutrient-dense foods to tackle malnutrition, especially among women and children.

The program adopts a circular economy approach, addressing interconnected goals of human well-being, environmental protection, and climate action.

In Rwanda, this work is implemented through the Circular Economy for Food in Rwanda (CIRF), a four-year initiative funded by the IKEA Foundation and implemented by a consortium including WRI, Resonance, the African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA), the African Circular Economy Network (ACEN), and the Rwanda Cleaner Production and Climate Innovation Centre (CPCIC). Together, these organizations advance circular economy principles in Rwanda’s agri-food sector, building resilient systems that minimize waste, optimize resources, and strengthen livelihoods.

Restoration Program

Since 2013, WRI has partnered with the Ministry of Environment and the Rwanda Forestry Authority (RFA) to advance Rwanda’s forest and landscape restoration agenda. This collaboration led to the Forest Landscape Restoration Opportunity Assessment, positioning Rwanda as a regional and global leader through its engagement in the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100).

WRI supports AFR100 countries, including Rwanda, by:

• Developing local restoration champions and pipelines of projects ready for funding and impact.
• Mobilizing finance to fund community-led restoration initiatives.
• Supporting policies that incentivize restoration for improved health, food security, livelihoods, and climate benefits.
• Monitoring, reporting, and learning to track project progress and ecosystem impact efficiently.

About the Internship

The Academic Internship in the Food & Restoration Program provides students with a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience at the intersection of sustainable agriculture, circular food systems, and ecosystem restoration. Interns will work closely with WRI Rwanda teams and gain practical exposure to:

• Data-driven crop monitoring and productivity mapping to support evidence-based agricultural interventions.
• Regenerative agriculture and sustainable food production techniques that improve soil health and yields.
• Integrating sustainable agriculture with landscape restoration initiatives to enhance ecosystem resilience.
• Participating in policy dialogues and multi-stakeholder platforms, contributing to discussions that shape food systems and restoration strategies.

Internship Learning Objectives and Responsibilities

1. Crop Productivity Mapping

• Participate in field data collection for crop type and yield assessments.
• Support piloting of yield monitoring systems in collaboration with the Rwanda Space Agency (RSA) and MINAGRI.
• Contribute to data analysis and reporting for crop productivity monitoring.
• Assist in designing crop monitoring protocols and survey tools.

2. Circular Food Systems

• Interns will be exposed to and support activities with SMEs to integrate circular economy principles into their operations, including:
• Regenerative production practices that restore soil health and biodiversity.
• Reducing food loss and waste along SME value chains.
• Repurposing organic waste (e.g., compost, animal feed, bioenergy).
• Participation in Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) dialogues, providing support in preparation and follow-up.
• Identifying opportunities to scale circular food systems practices in local communities and SME networks.

3. Food in Restoration

• Interns will be exposed to and support activities linking sustainable food production to landscape restoration, including:
• Supporting activities that integrate sustainable food production into landscape restoration initiatives.
• Working with restoration champions to adopt and apply sustainable agricultural practices.
• Contributing to monitoring the impact of these practices on food productivity and ecosystem health.
• Supporting the development of case studies that document lessons learned from integrated restoration and food production activities.

4. Knowledge Sharing and Reporting

• Prepare technical notes, field observations, or briefs.
• Participate in team discussions and technical working groups as needed.
• Support communication efforts, including presentations, infographics, or short reports for stakeholders.
• Additional Responsibilities
• Assist in organizing and facilitating trainings, workshops, or field demonstrations for farmers and partners.
• Support mapping and documentation of best practices
• Engage with local partners, farmers, and stakeholders to gather feedback and inputs on ongoing initiatives.

Expected Deliverables

• At least one technical note or field brief summarizing key observations and learnings.
• A final presentation or report highlighting internship experience, achievements, and recommendations.
• At least one case study documenting lessons learned from linking food systems and restoration.
• An analytical report or policy brief summarizing findings on circular food systems, sustainable agriculture, or restoration impacts.
• Support materials (e.g., infographics, maps, or datasets) for use in program communication or stakeholder engagement.
• Contribution to policy dialogue documentation, including key insights and recommendations.

Duration and Working Conditions

• Duration: A period of three (3) months, renewable for an additional three (3) months.
• Location: Full-time at the WRI Rwanda Office in Kigali, with field visits across project sites.
• Interns will work under the guidance of the WRI Rwanda Food and Restoration Program teams, receiving supervision, feedback, and professional development support.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Conservation Agriculture, Agronomy, Environmental Science, or a related field.
• Basic understanding of sustainable agriculture, soil conservation, and crop production systems.
• Proficient in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Familiarity with GIS or data analysis tools (e.g., QGIS, R, Excel) is an advantage.
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work in a multicultural environment.

How to Apply:

Please submit a CV, cover letter and University sponsorship letter to support your application via the WRI application portal.