Job Description

Who We Are: 

Friends of the Earth (FOE) is a national not for profit environmental organization driven by passion for a healthier and more just world. We push for the bold reforms that are needed. It’s an approach that has worked for five decades to produce important victories that help protect our planet and its people. We’re part of Friends of the Earth International, a federation of groups working in more than 70 countries on today’s most urgent environmental and social issues.

To accomplish our mission, Friends of the Earth is working at the nexus of environmental protection, economic policy and social justice to fundamentally transform the way our country and the world value people and the environment. Our current campaigns focus on promoting clean energy and solutions to climate change, ensuring the food we eat and products we use are sustainable and safe for our health and the environment, and protecting marine ecosystems and the people who live and work near them. This work is carried out by our team of staff in our Berkeley, California and Washington, D.C. offices.

Corporate-controlled, chemical intensive industrial food production is increasingly harmful to people and the planet, contributing to hunger, disease, poverty and severe environmental damage, which particularly adversely impact communities of color. Simultaneously, this “too big to fail” system leaves us vulnerable to climate chaos and other disruptions which threaten food security. A healthy future is dependent on developing an alternative, sustainable and resilient food system. This is why Friends of the Earth’s Food and Agriculture Program is working to rapidly transition our food system to one that is sustainable, healthy, and just. We carry out market and policy campaigns aimed at protecting pollinators, reforming animal agriculture, and reducing the harmful environmental and social impacts of industrial agriculture, while advocating for local, just, humane, organic and sustainable food production.

Friends of the Earth is committed to justice and equality. We value diversity at all levels of the organization and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that a range of perspectives makes our team more creative, flexible, and impactful.

What We Look For: Friends of the Earth two (2) seeks an intern for its Agriculture & Climate Finance Program, which fights for shifts in public and private finance that support a just transition away from chemical-intensive monocropping and factory farming to ecologically regenerative production of plants and a sustainable amount of pasture-based, higher welfare animal production. As part of this, we work to stop the financing of proposed factory farm projects before they are approved (or monitor them once they are approved), with a focus on Latin America.

Does this sound like you? If so, then this is the intern position for you. We are looking for two (2) interns. One intern will assist in conducting grassroots and stakeholder outreach to support our federal and international policy work, support engagement efforts with Multilateral Development Banks, help with multilateral development bank project research tracking factory farm projects on the ground in Latin America and Africa, support digital communications and social media campaigns, assist with domestic and international coalition building efforts, and draft public outreach materials.  The second intern will support our efforts to engage U.S. commercial banks, including assisting with corporate and bank research, supporting collaborative projects and coalition-building with international campaign partners, contributing to research reports, and drafting public outreach materials. This is a paid, part-time internship. Interns must be able to commit to 15 hrs/week; at the rate of $17/hour. The length of the internship is 6-9 months.

Who You Are:

Supportive Collaborator: Participate and support activities of our global Stop Financing Factory Farming coalition meetings. Provide support for meeting and event logistics such as petition deliveries, creation of PowerPoints for webinars, meetings with policy makers, briefings, etc. Conduct research and compile relevant information on campaign villains and targets. Attend coalition meetings and other relevant meetings on behalf of the campaign. Help mobilize Friends of the Earth members and campaign partners to participate in key campaign moments such as days of action, sign-on letters, petitions, and other calls to action.

Detail Oriented: Create online and offline public outreach and engagement materials. Provide general support for digital organizing tactics including social media posts, public comments, infographic content, and blog posts.  Track corporate targets in the media and disseminate information to campaign members. Track public development bank investments in factory farming alongside a key partner, the International Accountability Project.

Effective Communicator: Identify engagement opportunities, maintain spreadsheets, and conduct outreach to allied organizations (especially in the US, Latin America and Europe) and other stakeholders.  Work with a wide range of colleagues in environmental, social justice, international organizations and policy arenas and have the opportunity to become familiar with how these different entities work.

Required Qualifications: 

• A high school diploma or GED.
• Education and/or experience with corporate campaigns, grassroots organizing, environmental or political work.
• Understanding of the harms of industrial livestock, especially the intersection between agriculture and climate and the connection between food justice and racial justice.
• Strong research, writing, and editing skills including experience and familiarity with collecting, analyzing and summarizing credible research.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and basic Microsoft programs.
• A highly motivated, quick learner who is able to take initiative and work independently in a remote work environment.
• All candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. FOE does not sponsor any employment related visas.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• A background in environmental issues, racial justice, international development, finance campaigns or public policy.
• Foundational knowledge on current international benchmarks for corporate climate action and/or how public/private financial institutions channel money to agribusiness.
• Background in international policy work.
• Fluency in Spanish and/or Portuguese.

Friends of the Earth is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from women, people of color and other members of underrepresented groups who will contribute to the diversity of our staff.

How to Apply

Job Categories: Environmental. Job Types: Internship. Salaries: Less than 20,000.

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