Writer-Researcher Fellow: Woman Farmer Project Fellowship
Reports to: Projects Editor
Location: Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
Language: English and at least one regional language spoken in the above mentioned regions, including Khasi, Garo, Hindi, and Tamil.
Employment Type: 4-month fellowship (1 May 2026 – 31 August 2026)
No. of positions: 3
About the Woman Farmer Project:
The Woman Farmer Project is a storytelling initiative stewarded by The Locavore, timed with the UN-declared 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer (2026). The project documents and amplifies the lived experiences, knowledge systems, and everyday labour of women farmers across India’s food landscapes.
The project is part of The Collaboratives, a global climate storytelling initiative led by Doc Society Climate Storytelling Unit, bringing together cultural organisations and community networks from India, Kenya, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil.
Learn more about the project here.
About the Woman Farmer Project Fellowship:
At the heart of the Woman Farmer Project is a full-time, four-month storytelling fellowship involving embedded fieldwork and reporting.
As a Writer Researcher Fellow, you will spend extended time working with communities and partner organisations within your focus region. Through interviews, observation, and everyday interaction, you will document stories that emerge from within communities themselves.
This fellowship is designed for young storytellers interested in journalism and storytelling, and committed to ethical storytelling practices rooted in consent, care, transparency, and accountability.
Who can Apply?
This fellowship is open to women journalists and storytellers between the ages of 18 and 29.
Preference will be given to candidates from Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, as fellows will work closely with The Locavore’s grassroots partners in these areas.
Applicants should:
Have 1–2 years of experience producing editorial outputs.
Be comfortable working in English, along with proficiency in the respective regional languages from the project regions.
Be able to commit full time for the duration of the fellowship.
Demonstrate a commitment to ethical and community-centred storytelling.
Fellowship Timeline (Indicative):
May 2026: Orientation and Training (Remote)
June 2026-July 2026: Field reporting and production
August 2026: Submission of final outputs
Key outputs:
Through the duration of the fellowship, all Writer-Researcher fellows will closely work with grassroots communities to ideate, pitch, write, interview, document and produce the following outputs:
- Long-form Feature: Each fellow will ideate, pitch, write, conduct interviews, edit and produce a feature (approximately 2000 words) exploring the realities of women farmers in their region.
- Profiles: Each fellow is also responsible for ideating, pitching, conducting interviews and writing two stories for The Locavore’s Everyday Locavore series.
Everyday Locavores: ‘Everyday Locavores’ is a series dedicated to spotlight the people who enrich and sustain our food systems in many ways. Through short-format essays, we offer you a glimpse into their everyday lives, work, pleasures, and realities.
- Culinary Research Collaboration: Fellows will work closely with The Locavore’s Culinary research team to document regional food practices, ingredients, recipes, and culinary traditions through interviews, and archival research.
- Field Notes: Each fellow will maintain field notes documenting their reporting process, observations, and reflections during the fellowship. Selected notes may be published on The Locavore website.
- Photo Essay: Each fellow will collaborate with the Audio-Visual Fellow in their region to produce one photo essay documenting women farmers and their food landscapes.
- Social media outputs: Fellows will contribute short-form visual content and updates from the field for The Locavore’s digital platforms.
Note: The Audio-Visual Fellow and Writer-Researcher Fellow in each region will work closely together and support one another across reporting and storytelling outputs.
Candidate Attributes
We are looking for fellows who:
- Have strong storytelling skills, with a knack for translating complex ideas into compelling narratives.
- Have excellent writing, editing, and proofreading abilities, with attention to tone, accuracy, and clarity.
- Are curious and passionate about food systems, sustainability, and cultural storytelling.
- Have the ability to adapt writing styles for different audiences—ranging from formal reports to engaging website content.
- Are comfortable working with data, reports, and research materials, ensuring content is well-informed and evidence-based.
- Have an eye for engaging formats and storytelling opportunities.
- Are committed to maintaining accuracy, ethical storytelling, and editorial consistency.
- Have a collaborative mindset, and are able to work with editors, researchers, and grassroots partners.
What This Fellowship Offers
- Monthly stipend: Fellows will receive INR 40,000 per month for the duration of the fellowship.
- Travel, Lodging, and Field Expenses: The Locavore will cover fellowship-related travel, accommodation, and food during fieldwork.
- Training and Mentorship: Fellows will receive training before entering the field to strengthen storytelling quality and maintain ethical rigour, in collaboration with The Locavore’s editorial team and training partners.
- Editorial Mentorship: Fellows will receive guidance from The Locavore’s editors on story development and reporting.
- On-Ground Support: The Locavore’s grassroots partners will facilitate community access within regional communities and support with cultural mediation and language and contextual accuracy for the fellows.
Note: Positions are reserved for women, queer, trans, non binary and other gender minorities.
Deadline: March 29, 2026
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