Climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in agriculture specialist

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background, and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member nations, and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct and to uphold our values. FAO has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and FAO, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination
• All selected candidates, therefore, will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• The incumbent may be re-assigned to different activities and/or duty stations depending on the evolving needs of the Organization

Organizational Setting

The Markets andTrade Division (EST) monitors and analyses trends in international, regional and national agricultural commodity markets, collecting and disseminating comprehensive market and policy information concerning the major traded commodities and those important to food security. It also undertakes forward-looking outlook studies. The Division analyses issues that affect global food and agricultural trade, including policy analysis of trade measures and agreements, and provides technical support and capacity building to members in all these areas. Through its Global Information and Early Warning Service, the Division is also responsible for FAO's early warnings on food shortfalls. The Division houses the secretariats of the Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP), the Intergovernmental Commodity Groups (IGGs), the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) and the World Banana Forum (WBF).

The Team on Responsible Global Value Chains (RGVC) in EST works, among other activities, for the betterment of global banana supply chains and promotes collaboration on addressing challenges faced by the banana industry. The RGVC Team seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the main issues related to climate change and to develop a road map towards improving sustainability and reduce GHG emissions in banana production. To this end, the Team implements activities on Carbon and Water Footprint (CWF) and developed a Methodological Guide to Measure Carbon and Water Footprints in the Central American region and an automated tool accessible online together with capacity building and validation sessions in order to facilitate strategic advice, coordination and improved environmental management in banana plantations.

The post is home-based.

Reporting Lines

The Consultants/PSAs will report directly to the RGVC Team Leader and work in close collaboration with the team member in charge of the banana sector.

Technical Focus

Technical expertise is required in the following areas: Carbon inventory and capacity building on tropical agriculture carbon management and monitoring; climate change in agriculture technologies and practices including natural resources management, agro-climatology, water resources management, agrochemical use, agroforestry/forestry, land use and ecosystems management in the context of climate change.

Tasks and responsibilities

The generic functions for the profile include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Lead the work of the RGVC Team to measure and reduce GHG emissions in the banana industry in collaboration with relevant team members;
• Support the organization of stakeholder consultations to inform the design of Carbon and Water Footprint (CWF) measurement strategies, whilst helping to reduce GHG emissions and contributing to the adoption of low carbon options;
• Develop and manage relationships with relevant institutions and industry players that champion CWF measurement, smart contracts and/or other climate reform processes;
• Explore different opportunities for banana exporting governments to mainstream climate change mitigation in agriculture;
• Verify the appropriate functioning of the automated online CWF tool and take remedial action if necessary;
• Analyze the relevance of data collected to determine CWF measurements and climate change mitigation strategies in banana plantations;
• Review and update training materials and capacity building packages on CWF measurements developed for the project and automated tool;
• Carry out training sessions on CWF with identified producers in banana exporting countries;
• Conduct validation sessions to optimize the CWF tool, capitalizing on training sessions;
• Support the development of strategies to reduce GHG emissions on banana plantations;
• Assess the possible use of distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) to convey information on fruits that have been produced with lower GHG emissions to customers;
• Enable an environment of information and understanding about CWF, gathering efforts from members of the WBF as well as from governments, the academy and the banana industry;
• Explore strategies to trigger private sector investment in the reduction of GHG emissions through smart contracts;
• Support the drafting of project concept notes and project proposals on CWF;
• Lead the coordination of knowledge-management/sharing activities related to CWF and feed the WBF website with information and materials;
• Engage with external partners and technical FAO units to establish relevant collaboration mechanism with other knowledge platforms, including through the development of joint knowledge sharing activities;
• Carry out any other organizational and technical work as required by the Team.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in UN agencies and/or major international organizations would be considered an asset
• Extent and relevance of experience in developing and implementing knowledge management strategies and network facilitation
• Extent and relevance of experience in working with the private sector in measuring carbon footprints and reducing GHG emissions
• Experience with similar activities and roles
• Knowledge of the fruit sector and FAO’s working environment is a plus
• Knowledge of French is desirable
• Good organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects independently and proactively
• Excellent time management and problem-solving skills
• Ability to write reports and minutes in a systematic manner
• Ability to provide remote support and liaise virtually with stakeholders
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Good communication and interpersonal skills and ability to interact effectively with different stakeholders
• Superior attention to detail

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency