Agroecology and Agroforestry Specialist

Overview

Support planning and evaluation of agroecological systems in Cabo Verde.

You have:

• University degree in forestry, agriculture, agroecology, natural resources, environmental sciences, related fields.
• Minimum 3 years of relevant scientific experience in agrobiodiversity, sustainable land management, or agricultural systems in arid/semi-arid regions.
• Level C of English and working knowledge and excellent written and oral communication in Portuguese.
• National of Cape Verde or resident of the country with valid work permit.

Organizational Setting

The Forestry Division (NFO) leads FAO’s work in promoting sustainable forest and land management and advancing the contribution of trees and forests to poverty reduction, food security and nutrition. The Division supports Member States in the development of effective forest and agroforestry policies, restoration strategies, forest conservation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation actions. NFO also collects, analyses, and disseminates global data on forests, agroforestry systems, and ecosystem services.

In Cabo Verde, FAO is supporting national efforts to strengthen sustainable agri-food systems, halt land degradation, promote climate-resilient agriculture, and enhance biodiversity conservation. The implementation of the Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) contributes to these priorities by providing harmonized field data on agroecological transitions and sustainable land-use practices. TAPE implementation is supported by the European Union and ongoing Global Environment Facility (GEF) projects, allowing the integration of field-level agroecological data into national planning for land degradation neutrality, agrobiodiversity monitoring, and nature-based solutions.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will report to the FAO Cabo Verde Representative and the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme). He/She will work in close coordination with the FAO Cabo Verde Forestry and Climate Change Expert, the NSPD-TAPE core team, and national project partners.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will support the planning, design, monitoring, and evaluation of agroecological and agroforestry systems; the implementation and national contextualization of the TAPE methodology; data collection and analysis; policy support for sustainable land and water management; and capacity development in agroecology, agrobiodiversity, and trees-outside-forests monitoring.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Consultant/PSA will support FAO’s normative and field activities on agroecology and agroforestry in Cabo Verde by carrying out the following tasks:

• Support the national adaptation, contextualization, and field implementation of the Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE).

• Support the dissemination of TAPE results, including presentations, policy briefs, and communication materials

• Provide technical input for field data collection on agroecology, agrobiodiversity, land and water management, and sustainable food system practices.

• Gather, analyze and review latest scientific and other relevant information, including best practices and case studies;

• Contribute to the preparation of reports, guidelines and other publications;

• Contribute to the development and, if appropriate, to the delivery of capacity building and training materials;

• Contribute to the coordination, implementation and management of current projects and other activities in accordance with FAO and donor rules, procedures and systems;

• Contribute to the development of new projects/programmes in accordance with FAO and donor rules, procedures and systems;

• Contribute to the organization of regional and/or global events; and

• Carry out any other tasks as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in forestry, agriculture, agroecology, natural resources, environmental sciences, related fields;

• Minimum 3 years of relevant scientific experience in agrobiodiversity, sustainable land management, or agricultural systems in arid/semi-arid regions;

• Level C of English and working knowledge and excellent written and oral communication in Portuguese

• National of Cape Verde or resident of the country with valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus

• Teamwork

• Communication

• Building Effective Relationships

• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Strong communication skills in local Creole is an asset.

• Experience working with biodiversity databases and platforms related to ecological monitoring, natural resource management, and agrobiodiversity

• Proven skills in data collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of environmental and agroecological data;

• Experience with FAO frameworks and digital data collection tools (e.g., TAPE, Open Foris, Collect Earth) is highly desirable;

• Strong organizational and planning abilities, with the capacity to manage tasks independently and collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams;

• Proven ability to engage with stakeholders across institutions, including government agencies, local communities, NGOs, and research partners.

Selection Criteria

• Curriculum vitae

• Interview

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 6 months ago - Updated 5 months ago - Source: fao.org