FABI Internship in Phytosanitation and Biosecurity

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The FABI Internship Programme provides interns with a period of experiential learning during which previously acquired knowledge and theory are integrated with practical application and skills development in the plant health research environment or professional setting. It thus provide interns with the opportunity to gain applied experience, while affording their mentors/supervisors the opportunity to guide their development. Our vision is that the initiative prepare interns for careers in the forestry and agricultural sectors.

The internship draws from the expertise of multiple stakeholders and the training is coordinated with the needs of relevant industries, organizations and government. The outcomes of the training will provide additional technical support to improve the updating of outdated import requirements; assist with a higher turnover of completed pest risk information packages and pest risk assessments. This all will contribute positively to increased market access of SA commodities, and help with a positive trade balance. Interns will also contribute to pest and disease diagnostic and extension, surveillance and biological control programs.

By the end of this one-year internship, successful candidates will be acquainted with and able to practically apply the knowledge gained on all of the following:

• Plant health and pest/disease threats
  Global trade; Pathways of introduction and spread; Examples and case studies; Biosecurity; Quarantine and exclusion
• Phytosanitary concepts
  International Plant Protection Convention; International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures; Pest and disease risk analysis; Phytosanitary certification; Phytosanitary import/export regulatory systems
• Pest and disease diagnostics
  Identification of insects, fungi, bacteria and viruses; Field- and laboratory-based identifications; Pest and disease reporting and communication
• Disease and pest surveillance
  Importance of surveillance; How and why surveillance is implemented; Strategies and methodologies
• Pest and disease risk analysis and management
  Assessing risk; Commodity-specific management options; Pre- and postharvest practices; Integrated management systems; Biological Control; Systems approaches
• Agricultural/Forestry extension
  Concept and practice of extension; Target groups and their needs; Stakeholder engagement and awareness; Communication media

Eligibility and stipends:

• South African graduates with a minimum of a BSc Hons degree or a four-year BSc Agric degree. These may include specialization in a range of fields in the biological and agricultural sciences (e.g., genetics, entomology, microbiology, plant pathology, plant breeding, plant production, agricultural extension, etc.).
• Preferred applicants are those whose appointment would contribute towards achieving demographic representation in FABI.
• This is a one-year full-time internship with a monthly stipend of at least R9000, depending on the applicant’s academic qualifications.
• The Internship Programme typically runs from February to February every year.