Food and Power Initiative Intern, Planet Hub, BPPS (Home-based)

UNDP · Panama City

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UNDP is the knowledge frontier organisation for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP's policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. 

UNDP’s 2026–2029 Strategic Plan reaffirms our continued commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by accelerating structural transformations that advance poverty eradication, reduce inequalities, strengthen resilience, and drive sustainable, climate-aligned development. 

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policies and guidance to support the results of UNDP's Strategic Plan. BPPS's staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government, and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. 

• As part of GPN in BPPS, the Planet Hub promotes and scales up an integrated approach to deliver UNDP’s environment portfolio across nature, climate, energy, and chemicals and waste, supporting countries in advancing implementation of the Paris Agreement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and related multilateral environmental agreements. It coordinates UNDP’s flagship offers—Nature Pledge, Climate Promise, and Energy Moonshot, and Cooling, Circularity and Pollution Prevention initiatives—to meet strong country demand across more than 140 countries. The Hub enables joined-up policy, programming, and financing solutions that accelerate low-emission, nature-positive, and pollution-free development, while strengthening resilience and advancing sustainable, inclusive growth in line with the Strategic Plan.
• Food Systems is fundamental to the sustainable development of the 170 countries UNDP supports. Food Systems are often the largest contributor to their economies; food and nutrition are fundamental for citizen health; and Food Systems has a key role to play in achieving the SDGs. Yet, Food Systems are in crisis and need to be radically transformed to become sustainable. UNDP, building on its experience, has for the first time consolidated its FACS support and vision into this Strategy. The challenges and need for change related to Food Systems have been highlighted by a suite of reports by many research and international organizations and think tanks. The production practices and consumption patterns of food and agricultural commodities are taking these systems on an unsustainable trajectory with multiple impacts on human development, the environment, and economies; from ecosystem degradation, conflicts over land and natural resources, reduced capacity and resilience to climate and other shocks, persistent poverty, food insecurity and related people displacement and migration, to malnutrition including overweight and obesity. There is a clear need to work in a systemic and integrated manner to transform the Food Systems towards sustainability.

UNDP´s Vision for Food Systems 2030 is, through partnerships, to transform food and agricultural commodity systems into resilient; equitable; healthy, inclusive; environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable systems. Working on Food Systems will contribute to not only recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, by creating sustainable and resilient livelihoods for many along the Food Systems supply chains, but also to preventing further zoonoses from emerging in the future. This will require a change in the current paradigm of agricultural production focusing on maximizing productivity to a new paradigm based on diversified agroecological systems that work simultaneously on achieving economic, environmental, social, and health outcomes, with smallholders as a key part of the solution in their role as the engine of economic development. A Food Systems practice has been established within UNDP´s Nature, Climate, and Energy team, which is tasked to support UNDP Country Offices with Food Systems-related challenges in a way that is aligned with UNDP´s Food Systems strategy. 

As part of its work on systems change, the Food Systems practice has developed the Food and Power Initiative (FPI), a collaborative global programme which aims to support countries and stakeholders to better understand, navigate and address the power dynamics of food systems transformation. 

Since the launch of its implementation phase (Phase 2) in June 2025, the FPI has launched a Community of Engagement of over 120 global experts, practitioners and grassroots leaders from around the world.

The Food and Power Community of Engagement fills a critical gap in the global food systems ecosystem: a trusted, cross-sectoral space dedicated explicitly to understanding and shifting the power dynamics that block transformation. While many platforms focus on food security, agroecology, corporate accountability, climate-food linkages, or rights-based food systems, none explicitly convene practitioners around power itself - how it operates, how it concentrates, and how it can be rebalanced. 

Membership in the Community of Engagement (CoE) is:

• Closed and selective. To ensure trust, relevance, and alignment with the Initiative’s goals, the CoE is not open to the public.
• Values-driven. Members are expected to share a commitment to advancing the right to food, equity, justice, ecological integrity, and systemic transformation within food systems.
• Open to individuals. Individuals who meet the eligibility criteria are welcome to become Members of the CoE in their personal capacity to reduce administrative burdens, but must be affiliated with relevant organisations, networks, or research bodies.

• Through this CoE, members are able to collaborate through thematic Working Groups, members-only workshops and organically via a bespoke Digital Platform.
• The FPI seeks to hire an intern to support the development and consolidation of the Community of Engagement, ensuring it remains an active and valuable space for members, and ensuring momentum behind the Working Groups is maintained.

The FPI Community intern will perform the following tasks:

• Support the overall organization and facilitation of the Community of Engagement;
• Support with preparation and organization of calls, webinars, virtual workshops to support the Community of Engagement and in particular the Working Groups;
• Maintain knowledge management tools and virtual collaborative tools for FPI, including for the internal coordination team and the CoE Working Groups;
• Update the Library of Resources for the CoE; 
• Support with preparation of presentations, slide decks, briefing notes, and meeting minutes;
• Maintain internal filing system, including database management of FPI Partners (e.g. SharePoint, Google docs, Microsoft teams, etc.);
• Assist in research, including stakeholder mapping and possible donor mapping, as well as on any other key issues;
• Other related tasks as required. 

Applicants should become familiar with the internship conditions prior to signing an internship agreement. For information visit www.undp.org/internships/

• Institutional Arrangements
• The intern will report to the Programme Management Analyst.

Financial aspects, expenses and medical benefits

• UNDP will not pay for the internship but may provide a stipend in monthly in accordance with the provisions of the UNDP Internship policy;
• UNDP accepts no responsibility for the medical insurance for the intern or for any costs arising from accidents and/or illness during the internship period. Interns, whether engaged in-person or remotely, are responsible for securing adequate medical insurance for the duration of their internship with UNDP and must provide self certification of good health prior to starting the internship. 
• UNDP will not reimburse the medical insurance of the intern. Any costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship assignment will be the responsibility of the intern.
• UNDP is not responsible for any claims by an intern or third party in the case of loss or damage to property or death or personal injury as a result of actions or omissions on the part of the intern during the internship period.

Working conditions:

• When completing an in-person internship in a UNDP Office, interns must be provided with the workspace and equipment necessary to accomplish the activities related to the internship.
• When completing a remote internship, interns will be responsible for providing their own equipment, internet and communication access and workspace.

• Subsequent Employment
• There is no expectation of employment with UNDP following an internship.

Important note:

• Interns are considered as gratis personnel. They are not staff members.
• Interns may not be sought or accepted as substitutes for staff to be recruited against authorized posts.
• Interns may not represent UNDP in any official capacity.

Disclaimer
 

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