Cultivating Intergenerational Climate Leadership
August 8, 2025
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Nature For Justice’s Growing American Farmer Prosperity Program empowers U.S. smallholder farmers as key contributors to a resilient and equitable agricultural economy. Our work supports the adoption of regenerative farming practices, improves market access, and enables smallholder participation in environmental markets, including carbon, water, and biodiversity credits.
Building on our existing network of over 200 farmers across North Carolina and Virginia, the next phase of our program focuses on establishing a Smallholder Farmer Co-operative. This Co-operative will enhance smallholder market leverage, lower input costs through bulk purchasing, improve access to affordable agricultural loans, and open new climate and nature-based revenue opportunities.
We are seeking a dynamic, self-motivated individual based in North Carolina to lead the development of farming
partnerships and networks and so drive the next phase of our program. As the Farming Partnerships and Network Lead, you
will play a pivotal role in fostering relationships within the smallholder farmer community, laying the groundwork for the
development of a new Smallholder Farmer Co-operative, and facilitating farmer access to key partnerships, improving
access to knowledge, technologies, and markets that improve farm profitability and sustainability. This is an exciting opportunity for someone passionate about regenerative agriculture, smallholder farmer empowerment, and innovative market solutions. You will need to be based in North Carolina and will report directly to Patrick Brown, Director of Nature For Justice’s Growing American Farmer Prosperity Program, and will collaborate closely with our mission-driven local and global teams.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with farmers in the existing network and beyond.
• Organize and facilitate workshops, meetings, and peer-to-peer learning sessions.
• Collect and analyse farmer feedback.
• Lead the development of a case for establishment of a Smallholder Farmer Co-operative, including leading engagements with smallholder farmers to determine their interest and conditions of participation, including desired Co-operative objectives, structuring, governance and operational framework.
• Identify funding needs and partnership opportunities for the implementation of the Co-operative.
• Develop funding proposals and establish partnerships to secure resources for Co-operative initiation.
• Identify potential cost-saving and additional revenue generating agricultural technologies (e.g., enhanced rock weathering, precision tools) that could be promoted through the Co-operative or to smallholder farmers through Nature For Justice’s existing program.
• Identify demand and mechanisms for bulk purchasing arrangements and improved market access for farmers.
• Identify opportunities and design strategies to connect farmers with environmental markets (e.g. carbon credits, water trading, biodiversity markets).
• Apply bioregional principles to align farming practices with local and systems-scale ecological realities, developing strategies and guidance that can be shared with farmers in the network with a view to reducing farming risks and optimising benefits at systems scales.
• Ensure the Co-operative design and strategies integrate conservation and climate resilience goals.
• Document activities, successes, and lessons learned to inform future program development.
• Collaborate with the program team to ensure alignment around engagement, outreach and communications.
• Provide regular progress reports to the program leadership.
• Participate in N4J Global team calls once per month.
Please send us your CV and a cover letter explaining why you are interested in this role, and why you feel you are the right
person for this opportunity. Please confirm your address in the letter, as we can only consider applicants resident in North
Carolina. Please also indicate your earliest start date.
Please submit your application by email to Nicci Mander (Prosperity-Careers@nature4justice.org) no later than 3 September
2025.
Interviews will be held from mid-September onwards.
