Field Research Volunteer (The Tiny Food Project: Alibag)
Location: Alibag / Mumbai
Duration: Project-Based, 3 months
Reports to: Project Lead
Start Date: January 8, 2025
Positions: 2
About the Project
The Tiny Food Project: Alibag is a three-month collaboration between The Locavore and Tiny Miracles. The project works with a group of women in Alibag to explore food as a means of economic empowerment and community pride.
Through workshops, home-kitchen product trials, storytelling, and market linkages, the project aims to support participants in developing small-batch, community-led food products with viable pathways to reach local buyers.
This pilot will combine on-ground facilitation, food-based skill-building, and storytelling to document learnings and lay the groundwork for a longer-term replicable model of women-led, community-rooted food entrepreneurship grounded in sustainability, and self-reliance.
Role Overview
The Field Research Volunteer will support the Project Lead in conducting field research, documentation, and coordination for The Tiny Food Project: Alibag.
Volunteers will work closely with the community, helping capture stories, document food practices, assist in workshops, and maintain qualitative records throughout the project’s phases. This is a hands-on, learning-oriented role ideal for someone interested in fieldwork, local food systems, and community research.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Fieldwork & Community Engagement
- Support the Project Lead during household visits, workshops, and community meetings.
- Observe and document participant interactions, food preparation practices, and training sessions.
- Build rapport with community members and contribute to creating an open, respectful environment for participation.
Research & Documentation
- Assist in collecting field notes, photographs, and short audio or video snippets that capture process, learning, and stories.
- Maintain structured logs of participation, feedback, and observations.
- Contribute to mapping local food ingredients, recipes, and production processes relevant to the project.
- Support in transcribing, translating, and organizing qualitative data for reports and storytelling.
Project Coordination Support
- Help organize materials and logistics for workshops and product trials.
- Assist in preparing simple research tools such as checklists, feedback forms, and observation templates.
Candidate Attributes
We’re looking for volunteers who are:
- Curious about food, ecology, and community-building, with a genuine interest in local food systems.
- Pursuing or have prior experience in anthropology, journalism, food studies, or development research.
- Organised, reliable, and detail-oriented in field documentation and reporting.
- Comfortable working in non-urban or semi-rural contexts.
- Empathetic and respectful in engaging with communities.
- Fluent in English and Marathi (preferred), for communication and transcription.
Bonus if you have:
- Familiarity with food systems, sustainability, or agrarian/fisher communities.
- Experience with qualitative research, interviews, or participatory documentation.
- Basic photography, videography, or writing skills for storytelling.
Work Structure:
- Be part of a meaningful project spotlighting a richly layered region and its local food traditions.
- Learn from a multidisciplinary team of chefs, storytellers, designers, and researchers.
- Build practical skills in community research, documentation, and facilitation.
Join The Locavore’s broader network of collaborators working at the intersection of food, culture, and sustainability.
To apply now, fill the form here.
Deadline: Monday, 24 November 2025
If you have any queries, reach out to connect@thelocavore.in
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