16 Best Food Sustainability Jobs

Food sustainability is an important issue, and if it’s something you’re passionate about, you might want to consider a career that will allow you to further this cause.

To help you with this, we’ve put together a list of entry-level, senior-level, and work-from-home food sustainability jobs, as well as jobs in this area that don’t require a degree. We’ve also included some tips on what to look for in a food sustainability job.

Key Takeaways

• Three of the top food sustainability jobs include agriculture and food researcher, farmer, and community engagement coordinator.

• You can find a food sustainability job no matter what your skills or area of expertise are.

• Some food sustainaibility jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree, but many don’t require a degree at all.

Best Entry Level Food Sustainability Jobs

If you’ve recently graduated or are looking to change careers, there are many entry-level jobs that can help jump-start your career in food sustainability.

1. Volunteer

   Average Salary: $0

   Volunteering at a local farm, sustainable restaurant, grocery store, sustainable food retailer, a food advocacy group, or nonprofit is a great way to gain experience and launch a successful career in the food sustainability industry.

   Whether you’re interested in agriculture and food system practices, production, policies, or education, there are ample volunteer opportunities across the United States, especially in more rural farming areas, like Texas, Missouri, and Iowa.

   If you’re looking for more focused volunteer opportunities, finding a role as a sustainability trainee could be a good option for you. As a volunteer trainee or intern, you’ll gain hands-on working experience while also helping to change the world by improving global health, food supply safety, and the natural environment.

   Pros and cons of being a volunteer: While being a volunteer can be fulfilling and get you some valuable work experience, it also doesn’t pay the bills since, by definition, you won’t get paid to volunteer.

2. Farmhand

   Average Salary: $37,190

   For blue-collar workers itching to get their hands dirty and play a vital role in the world’s food growing and production process, there’s no better way to break into the market than by working as a farmhand.

   Typically, farmhands are responsible for assisting farmers in running, managing, and caring for farms to ensure the best possible harvest. From weed control to harvesting crops and monitoring the wellbeing of farm animals, farmhands do it all.

   Farms for both crops and livestock are the bedrock of the world’s food supply chain, so as a farmhand, you’ll be at the very forefront of the sustainable food industry.

   Pros and cons of being a farmhand: While being a farmhand affords great benefits such as valuable experience and plenty of opportunities to develop a career (most farmers start as farmhands) while literally feeding the world, it also comes with drawbacks, such as long hours and hard physical work.

3. Teaching Assistant

   Average salary: $25,853

   Working in education might not be the first thing you picture when you think of careers in food sustainability, but educating the world’s populations on food safety, production and supply protocols, environmental sustainability, and training the next generation of farmers is just as important as harvesting crops or working in food research or agriculture.

   There are dozens of available careers as a food sustainability teaching assistant in traditional elementary, middle, and high school classrooms, to undergraduate and graduate classes, and even specialized food advocacy programs.

   Depending on the specific role, teaching assistants often don’t need a college degree but rather a state-approved teaching certificate. Working as a teaching assistant is a great way to break into the field of food sustainability and education and could open up dozens of avenues for growth should you choose to further pursue the opportunity.

   Pros and cons of being a teaching assistant: Working as a teaching assistant is a rewarding entry-level job for professionals looking to educate the next generation on the importance of sustainable food and agriculture. However, it also involves low pay and sometimes frustrating work.

4. Hygiene Service Representative

   Average Salary: $45,569

   Working as a hygiene service representative and cleaning food processing plants, sustainable restaurants, and factories is another great entry-level job within the field of food sustainability.

   Hygiene service representatives play a vital role in global food sustainability processes as they ensure that facilities adhere to a high level of cleanliness, thus protecting the safety of food and global health.

   Pros and cons of being a hygiene service representative: Although the role of hygiene service representative isn’t the best-paying food sustainability job, it’s essential to the supply chain and is a great way to enter into the field of food production, gain experience, and work your way up the corporate ladder.

Best Senior Level Food Sustainability Jobs

Career growth within the sustainable food industry is entirely possible. In fact, there are dozens of rewarding and well-paying roles for experienced job seekers looking to further develop as food sustainability professionals.

Here are a few jobs that are perfect for senior-level professionals in the market for a career in food sustainability:

1. Food Scientist

   Average salary: $57,009

   If technical skills are your area of expertise, then working as a food scientist, one of the fastest-growing green jobs in the country, could be the dream food sustainability job you’ve been searching for. In the United States, many food scientists are employed as laboratory technicians and laboratory assistants.

   Food scientists study the processing of the world’s food using microbiology, engineering, and chemistry and are typically responsible for creating new food products, researching ways to improve crop and livestock sustainability, and developing new techniques to process and package nutritious and delicious foods.

   To land a rewarding job as a food scientist and earn up to $68,830 annually, you’ll typically need at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and several years of relevant experience, although many of the most successful professionals in the field hold advanced degrees, like master’s degrees and doctorates.

   Pros and cons of being a food scientist: While being a food scientist affords great benefits like rewarding work, job security, and travel opportunities, it also comes with drawbacks such as challenging and sometimes stressful work.

2. Agriculture and Food Researcher

   Average Salary: $93,460

   Research is a huge component of food sustainability, so pursuing a career as an agriculture and food researcher could be a great opportunity to help improve the country’s food supply chain and sustainable agriculture processes.

   Non-profit organizations, farming, and food distribution corporations, and government agencies are almost always looking for research associates to investigate new ways of improving food, food processing, and nutrition.

   Pros and cons of being an agriculture and food researcher: While being an agriculture and food researcher affords you the opportunity to better food sustainability and make a high salary while you do it, it can also come with high levels of stress (especially early on in your career) and sometimes frustrating work.

3. Land Manager

   Average Salary: $99,000

   If you’re looking for a career in food sustainability that allows you to earn a comfortable salary while working outdoors, finding a job as a land manager could be a lucrative option for you.

   The majority of land managers are tasked with property upkeep, wildlife management, farm operations, and crop planting and harvesting. The position requires expert sustainable land management skills and experience and earns an average annual salary of more than $99,000.

   Pros and cons of being a land manager: Land managers get to enjoy spending time outdoors helping to ensure land is used in sustainable ways. However, that also means you have to be outside in any kind of weather.

4. Policymaker

   Average Salary: $57,110

   Are politics and law more your style? If that’s the case, there are dozens of opportunities to advocate for sustainable food production and consumption practices and positively change the way the world’s food supply is made as a policymaker.

   As a policy or lawmaker specializing in food sustainability, you could play a pivotal role in solving food issues, expanding food supply chains throughout the United States, encouraging sustainable food practices that preserve the environment, and providing global populations with adequate food nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

   On average, policymakers and legislators in the United States earn an average annual salary of $57,110, but there is ample opportunity for professional growth within the field.

   Pros and cons of being a policymaker: Being a policymaker gives you the opportunity to enact real change for your community, state, or even country, but it also comes with high amounts of stress and red tape, which can hinder your progress.

Best Food Sustainability Jobs for People Without a College Degree

Although working in the food sustainability field often requires a lot of hard work and dedication, it doesn’t always require a college degree. There are plenty of jobs available within food production, supply, and consumption for professionals whose highest education is a high school diploma.

Here are some of the top food sustainability jobs for people with a high school diploma:

1. Farmer

   Average salary: $44,768

   Working as a farmer is the epitome of food sustainability. Farmers are at the core of the international food supply system and, by producing necessary crops and food sources, play a vital role in maintaining public health and staple societies across the globe.

   As the world’s population continues to rise and expand, farmers are needed now more than ever before.

   The blue-collar job doesn’t require a college degree or any formal education, but to be successful, farmers must be capable of performing hard manual labor, have expert budgeting skills, and specialized knowledge of growing seasons and crop harvesting.

   Successful farmers, including direct farmers and ranchers, in the United States make up about 15 percent of the country’s total workforce and have ample opportunities to earn some serious cash, with many earning comfortable six-figure salaries.

   Pros and cons of being a farmer: Farming allows you to spend time outdoors, have a direct hand in increasing food sustainability, and get the satisfaction of knowing you’re feeding the world.

   On the other hand, it also comes with long hours, little opportunity for vacation, and the instability that comes with relying on nature to cooperate with your efforts.

2. Nursery Plant Specialist

   Average Salary: $31,440

   Working as a nursery plant specialist is a great food sustainability job for people without a college degree and blue-collar professionals looking to make a real change in their local communities.

   Nursery plant specialists work in nurseries and greenhouses and care for a wide range of young plants and crops, including fruits, vegetables, and herbs. From transplanting shrubs and crops to detecting and caring for plant diseases and answering customer questions, nursery plant specialists do it all.

   Working as a nursery plant specialist is also a great option for people interested in food production and crop growing which may not have the tools or resources to work as professional farmers.

   Pros and cons of being a plant nursery specialist: While being a plant nursery specialist affords great benefits like getting to grow plants sustainably and helping others do the same, it also comes with drawbacks such as a relatively low salary and work that is often monotonous, not to mention highly seasonal.

3. Animal Welfare Activist

   Average Salary: $37,190

   If you have a special place in your heart for animals, then working as an animal welfare activist could be the perfect career for you.

   Animal welfare activists ensure that animal products, like meat and dairy, are sustainably produced by protecting animals against inhumane and illegal treatment and educating the public on the importance of animal safety and proper farm and livestock management.

   Most animal welfare activists work for non-profit organizations and are tasked with inspiring institutional change and spreading awareness on sustainable food advocacy.

   Generally, animal welfare activists work to preserve five freedoms: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury, or disease, freedom from fear, and freedom to express normal behavior.

   Pros and cons of being an animal welfare activist: While being an animal welfare activist allows you to be on the front lines of promoting food sustainability, it can also be discouraging when you encounter significant resistence to your efforts.

4. Farm-To-Table Chef

   Average Salary: $56,920

   Working as a farm-to-table chef is a fun and rewarding career within the food sustainability industry that typically doesn’t require any formal college education.

   Farm-to-table chefs typically works in restaurants that source sustainable and nutritious foods to create a one-of-a-kind dining experience. As such, farm-to-table chefs focus on the consumption component of global food sustainability, serving up dishes that are both good for their customers and good for the environment.

   While some of the most successful farm-to-table chefs hold food certifications or some degree of culinary school education, the majority of successful sustainable chefs work their way up the ladder, usually starting as a line cook or restaurant server.

   Pros and cons of being a farm-to-table chef: Being a farm-to-table chef can be exciting and rewarding as you get to use your creativity and expertise to help further food sustainability. However, it also has its drawbacks, including long, unsusual hours and difficult customers.

Best Work From Home Food Sustainability Jobs

If you’re looking for remote job opportunities, don’t turn your back on food sustainability so quickly. There are lots of work-from-home opportunities for professionals aiming to advocate for sustainable environmental practices, safe food handling, and uninterrupted international food supply chains.

Here are some work from home jobs that are great for people looking for careers in food sustainability:

1. Copywriter

   Average salary: $50,804

   Working as a copywriter can be a great option if you’re looking for a way to work from home while also informing and educating people on the importance of food sustainability.

   Copywriters specializing in farming, agriculture, and food sustainability writing play a key role in informing the public and sharing vital information on international food supply chains.

   Typically, such professionals hold either freelance or full-time positions with food sustainability blogs, print, or broadcast news outlets, non-profit organizations and public relations offices.

   Pros and cons of being a copywriter: While being a copywriter affords great benefits such as flexibility on when you work and what you write about, it also comes with drawbacks such as fluctuating workloads and difficulty getting your work picked up.

2. Community Engagement Coordinator

   Average Salary: $73,250

   If social media is more your thing, then working as a community engagement coordinator could be the perfect way for you to work from home in the food sustainability field.

   Community engagement coordinators primarily work at non-profit organizations, commercial offices, or government agencies and spend the majority of their workdays on the computer, engaging with customers and businesses on social media.

   Pros and cons of being a community engagement coordinator: Many people enjoy being a community engagement coordinator because it allows them to interact with people and further food sustainability.

   The downside of being a community engagement coordinator is that it can be frustrating and discouraging when your efforts don’t necessarily appear to pay off immediately.

3. Sustainable Food Advocate

   Average Salary: $62,000

   Sustainable food advocates have their hands in a little bit of everything, like copywriting, social media engagement, and fundraising efforts, and work to enhance and improve food sustainability practices across the United States through advocacy and public awareness efforts.

   The majority of sustainable food advocates are employed at non-profit and grassroots organizations across the country and have the flexibility of making their own schedules and working from home to spread awareness, raise funds, and even offer assistance to farmers in the form of research and advocacy.

   Pros and cons of being a sustainable food advocate: While being a sustainable food advocate gives you flexibility and the opportunity to do work you’re passionate about, it can also be stressful, as non-profits often need you to handle a wide variety of responsibilities for minimal pay.

4. Development Coordinator

   Average Salary: $113,330

   Nowadays, more new efficient, and environmentally friendly methods of food production are constantly emerging, so there’s always a need for development coordinators to lead food sustainability fundraising efforts.

   Development coordinators specializing in food sustainability typically work for a variety of businesses, including non-profit agencies, political organizations, and big corporations, and reach out to and communicate with donors and constituents to generate funds for specific food sustainability efforts or food supply research projects.

   Pros and cons of being a development coordinator: Working as a=a development coordinator affords great benefits like a high salary and rewarding work, but it also comes with drawbacks such as a significant amount of pressure to raise funds.

What to Look for in a Food Sustainability Job

Careers in food sustainability are a bit different from your average office job or corporate role. Typically, when searching for an occupation in food sustainability, you should look for jobs that relate, in some way, to the national or global food supply system, agriculture, food production and consumption, and sustainable food processing.

Although it might not seem like it at first, there are countless opportunities within the field of food sustainability for professionals of all skill sets and business and education backgrounds.

From farming, research, teaching, and advocacy to communications, law, restaurant and food services, and public health, there are dozens of major sectors that offer jobs in food sustainability.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a way to earn a competitive salary while also changing the dynamics of global food production and consumption, the sustainable food industry might be right up your alley.

Combining the production, supply, and consumption of nutrient-dense foods with science and modern technologies aimed at preserving the environment continues to be a business sector with growing demand in nearly all regions of the world, especially the United States where both the need for food and a push towards environmental sustainability is rising.

Careers in food sustainability span all areas of production, distribution, and consumption and thus play a vital role in the overall wellbeing of the world’s peoples, ecosystems, and economies.

From entry-level jobs and careers for professionals without a college degree to senior-level roles and work-from-home opportunities, there are countless lucrative career options within the food sustainability sector.

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.” Accessed on September 13, 2022.

Author

Elsie Boskamp

Elsie is an experienced writer, reporter, and content creator. As a leader in her field, Elsie is best known for her work as a Reporter for The Southampton Press, but she can also be credited with contributions to Long Island Pulse Magazine and Hamptons Online. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Stony Brook University and currently resides in Franklin, Tennessee.