LATs/CFND Strengthening land tenure security for resilient Agrifood systems in pastoral communities

Improved capacity of Member States to develop or amend policies and legislation towards equitable and secure access to land and pasture

Addis Ababa

8 month

Background Africa is off track to meet Sustainable Development Goal 2 on Zero Hunger by 2030 and the African 2063 goals related to food security. In 2023, over 298 million Africans, representing 40% of the global total, faced hunger, with the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating the situation. Despite holding 65% of arable land, Africa’s food systems are highly vulnerable to climatic shocks, disproportionately affecting pastoralists and other marginalized groups. There is, therefore, an urgent need to transform African food systems towards making them more resilient and inclusive, to reduce the impact of climate change and ensure the inclusion of vulnerable populations, including pastoralists whose livelihoods depend on ecosystems that are extremely vulnerable to climate shocks. The livestock value chain presents an immense opportunity to serve as the basis for agri-food value chain transformation, addressing Africa’s food security and nutrition challenges while promoting diversification and trade. This sector currently faces challenges, including vulnerability to climate change, land tenure insecurity, and conflicts which primarily rely on communally managed land and pasture. The challenges are further compounded by poor access to inputs; inadequate access to quality breeds that align with market demand for food and leather, limited financing and insurance options—especially for drought coverage; and failure to meet sanitary and phytosanitary standards, as well as limited technical capacities. Additionally, a low level of cross-border trade in livestock products and commodities adversely limits investment and agri-food system resilience and transformation. Addressing these challenges requires reforming policy and regulatory frameworks, enhancing market opportunities, and fostering cooperation to overcome constraints In East Africa, specifically Somalia, Kenya, and Uganda, livestock is a critical economic pillar for livelihoods, food security, and national income. In Somalia, livestock contributes nearly half of the national GDP, with pastoralism dominating production. However, recurrent climate shocks, biodiversity loss, and disease outbreaks have devastated the sector, leading to widespread displacement and dependence on imports and aid. Kenya’s livestock industry employs half of the agricultural labour force and contributes significantly to GDP, but rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and recurrent droughts in arid and semi-arid regions have intensified competition for scarce resources, increased mortality rates, and worsened disease prevalence. Uganda’s livestock sector, though smaller in scale, remains vital, supporting 4.5 million people and contributing 17% to agricultural GDP. Production systems vary from pastoralism in the north to mixed crop-livestock farming in the central and southern regions. Yet, climate change is eroding productivity through reduced forage, prolonged droughts, and rising pest and disease burdens. Across all three countries, the livestock sector faces mounting challenges from environmental stressors, resource conflicts, and health risks, threatening its sustainability and the resilience of communities that depend on it. Context Land is an important factor of production that can accelerate food system transformation and resilience to climate change if adequately managed. Secure land access and tenure for the majority of pastoralists is essential to adopting practices that enhance biodiversity conservation and promote climate-resilient approaches in livestock production. For the private sector to meaningfully engage and finance the food and livestock sectors, a conducive environment requires ease in documenting land rights and establishing viable partnerships with governments and communities that manage and occupy the land. Quite often, land investments occur in communally managed land, particularly the land under pastoral livestock management. Many countries’ land policies have only recently allowed for the recognition of community land, and the economic importance of livestock production systems within the so-called community lands. Advancing equitable investments in livestock value chains requires adequate land information and land use plans to guide investment decisions by governments, communities, and private investors. Many governments lack land use plans, mapping of land claims, and a clear understanding of environmental and economic services that underpin production and value chain development. It is no wonder, then, that only 15-20% of large-scale land acquisitions result in the intended goal of enhancing agri-food production to address food security, diversification, and trade. Furthermore, securing women's land rights within these systems to ensure equitable outcomes from investments in livestock sectors remains a challenge. While more policies now provide provisions for equal rights for men and women, sensitization and capacity development are necessary to ensure that women exercise their rights, on the one hand, and that institutions delivering land rights are well-equipped to develop legislations and programmes to implement these policies. In this context, the ALPC seeks to engage a consultant to conduct country level assessment of the land sectors and identify entry points in the existing policy regulatory framework for securing land tenure and reducing land resource conflicts. The consultant will provide key recommendations that will strengthen the capacities of policymakers to design, adapt, and implement land policies and legal frameworks. The consultant will also lead in organizing country-level policy dialogues targeting legislators, ministries and government departments responsible for livestock and land, association/cooperatives of livestock producers, traditional leaders, non-governmental actors, private sector. The goal is to build political will and enhance their skills to develop, review, and amend land policies and legislation. These efforts aim to secure land rights, particularly for marginalized groups like pastoralists and women, while fostering responsible and equitable investments in the livestock value chain. Finally, the consultant will organize write shops and a validation workshop to collaboratively draft and review land policy and legislative amendments to promote secure land rights, and foster equitable investments in the livestock sector. Duties and Responsibilities Under the supervision of the Chief, Land and Agricultural Transformation Section (LATs), and working closely with other LATs staff and Lead consultant, the consultant will conduct the following tasks i. Conduct desk review of relevant policies, laws, and strategies on improving land tenure security for equitable and secure access to land and pasture ii. Undertake stakeholder consultations (government, pastoralist associations, civil society, private sector, donors). iii. Map challenges and opportunities in pastoral land tenure and agrifood systems. iv. Analyze gender and social inclusion dimensions of land tenure security. v. Develop recommendations and propose entry points for policy and legislative review vi. Facilitate policy dialogue and validation workshops with stakeholders vii. Organize and facilitate write-shops and validation of policy or legislative drafting/amendments to secure land rights viii. Provide overall support to all country level activities of the project

• Advanced university degree in Land governance, Natural resource management, or related disciplines, including agricultural economics, rural development, or social science. • Knowledge of pastoral land tenure systems is an advantage • A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience at the national and/or regional level in land governance issues, agrifood systems, or pastoral development is required. • Experience in conducting country-level assessments and supporting policy advocacy and reform processes at national or regional levels is required • Good knowledge in customary land administration, especially in pastoral communities, and the gender implications is an advantage • Strong skills in stakeholder engagement, participatory processes, and capacity building is an advantage

Not available.

Not available.

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.