Food Systems Support Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Sub- regional Office for the Caribbean (SLC) is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed strategies for addressing sub regional food, agriculture and rural development priorities. It develops and maintains relations with sub region-wide institutions including Regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs). The Sub regional Office is a subsidiary of FAO’s Regional Office for the Latin America and the Caribbean (RLC).

Food systems encompass the entire range of actors and their activities involved in the production, aggregation, transport, processing, distribution, consumption of food products that originate from agriculture, forestry or fisheries, including the inputs used and management of the waste generated by each of the activities.

Current food systems are unable to provide nutritious and healthy food to all and contribute to enhanced livelihood opportunities in an environmentally sustainable way. Food systems are challenged by several factors, including changing diets, technology, urbanization and climate change.

Under a partnership between the European Union, FAO, and CIRAD, in cooperation with national and food systems stakeholders, a large-scale assessment and consultation on food systems was initiated in the Caribbean during 2021 as a first step towards transforming them and achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

The objective of the assessment examined interactions across four key sectors: nutrition and food security, economic well-being, territorial equity, and environmental protection. It provided broad food systems’ insights and evidence to public, private sector and civil society stakeholders, helping to inform and advance conversations on sustainable food systems with key stakeholders.

Additionally, the Assessment represented a process of reflection and policy dialogue, prioritization and planning to guide future food systems policy measures, investment and programming at the country level and the wider Caribbean. The assessments also contribute to the national and regional dialogues organized in the framework of the UN Food System Summit held in September 2021.

Reporting Lines

The Food Systems Support (FSS) Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Sub-regional Coordinator, and in close consultation with the FSS Team in CFI and the SLC-FAORs.

Technical Focus

This assignment will contribute to the follow-up mechanism designed to advance the national and global transformative actions announced at the summit and support global stocktaking to measure progress.

Tasks and responsibilities

The FSS Specialist will perform the following duties: • Review the report of the Food Systems Dialogue in the Caribbean • Review the UN-MSDCF and the FAO-CPFs for all 13 countries of SLC • Review the FSA reports for Barbados, Belize, the OECS countries and Jamaica and country Food System Summit (FSS) pathways where they exist • Identify priority areas for food systems follow up that correspond to areas of work covered under the CPFs • Prepare concise documents outlining and explaining planned FAO support to FSS follow-up for each SLC member country • Prepare a concise document outlining FAO support at regional level, in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat or with OECS Commission, to facilitate sustainable progress by countries with their FSS pathways.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in Agriculture, Biodiversity, Environmental Science, Political Science or related field. • 3 years of relevant experience in sustainable agricultural development in the Caribbean. • Working knowledge of English. • National or Resident of Barbados.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Proven capacity to work with and establish working relationships with medium to high-level government and non-government representatives • Excellent writing skills in English