About this role
Food Security Specialist
Project Description: Skilled farm workers and newly trained graduates can work alongside farmers in Madagascar to strengthen their operations.
Extreme weather, soil degradation, and limited agricultural extension services have made it difficult for smallholder farmers in Madagascar to grow multiple crops in a given season. This is especially concerning because more than 75% of Madagascar’s population depends on these farms for their food. When crops fail, families, particularly in rural areas, are left vulnerable to malnutrition and food insecurity. A recent in-country assessment highlighted critical gaps in post‑harvest management and food processing skills among farmers. Many expressed interest in developing alternative sources of income to buffer against crop losses, but doing so requires expanded training in basic business management and entrepreneurship—training that is not yet widely accessible.
As a Food Security Specialist, you will guide farmers as they adopt bio‑intensive and regenerative agriculture as well as agroecology practices that increase productivity, expand the variety of crops grown, and improve year‑round access to nutritious food. You will also help strengthen post‑harvest handling and small‑scale business operations so farmers can earn income even when yields are low. By supporting nearby training centers, you'll also help shape the next generation of agricultural leaders and build long-term resilience across farming communities.
Required Skills: Associate degree in any field and at least two years of full-time, post-high school work experience (from any combination of roles). OR Bachelor's degree in any field. OR High school diploma or GED and 4 years of full-time post-high school work experience (from any combination of roles).
Living Conditions: Volunteers live in rural and semi‑urban communities across the east coast, center and northern highland, north-west coast, as well as southern-highland regions of Madagascar. Housing is modest and may include inconsistent electricity or water access. Daily commutes consist of walking or biking to the work site or markets.
Activities: Promote bio-intensive homestead gardening techniques.
Introduce practices that strengthen soil health, support the environment, and boost outputs.
Facilitate nutrition education, cooking demonstrations, and food preservation workshops.
Support agroforestry approaches to expand crop production and build resilience.
Provide training on basic farm business practices, including recordkeeping and product marketing.
You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as an English or environment club and youth leadership activities.
Training: As a Food Security Specialist, you will be trained on agroforestry techniques, behavior change models, small‑scale enterprise development, and nutrition‑sensitive agriculture. Peace Corps/Madagascar will teach you the Malagasy language to help you comfortably live in and connect with the community. You will also receive language resources to support your learning.
After 10 weeks of training, you will move to a rural community where you will collaborate with lead farmers, training centers, and community organizations. You will work to assess the needs and develop solutions based on available resources.
Job Highlights: Learn from experienced farmers while addressing real-world food security challenges.
Build Malagasy language proficiency and cultural understanding in a way only possible through extended, immersive living in the community.
Strengthen agricultural resilience and adaptation through income‑generating activities and modern agroforestry techniques.