Organizational Setting

FAO is a key player pushing for interventions that bridge the continuum between humanitarian support and development interventions in the food and agriculture sector, covering rural and peri-urban areas. Assisting in preventing disaster-related emergencies, providing early warning for food emergencies, and helping in rehabilitation of food production systems are amongst FAO’s predominant roles. The main forms of FAO’s interventions include, but are not limited to, needs assessments, the provision of essential agricultural inputs and technical assistance in planning and management for sustainable recovery and resilience in rural production systems.

The incumbent will largely support one of FAO’s largest projects in Iraq, entitled: “Restoration and Strengthening the Resilience of Agri-food Systems in Southern Iraq” FAO supports about 23,000 smallholder households as they rebuild their agricultural livelihoods to diversify their income and achieve food security. The project focuses on three value chains, including that of date palm.

Date Palm

Date palm has been a major agriculture export product in Iraq in the past. During the war of 2003, the date palm industry was substantially damaged. Now, Iraqi officials are promoting replanting programs to rehabilitate the country’s date palms. The government aims to triple the number of date palm trees by 2021. The program, which initially started in 2005, involved planting several date palm farms and the Ministry of Agriculture established a new plant tissue culture laboratory for date palm micro-propagation. Also, the government is encouraging the private sector to rehabilitate old date palm plantations, and private investors have been encouraged to cultivate additional sites in the Iraqi deserts. Overall, the Iraqi government program aims to increase the number of trees to 40 million in the next 10 years.

Despite these efforts, the sub-sector faces a number of challenges that have resulted in low production and income levels. They include:

1. Lack of quality and quantity of sources, availability and price of date palm shoots or seedlings (natural or tissue culture);
2. Crop management is still under traditional procedure, with limitations to planting, water management, growing, pesticides application as well as pollination, harvesting storage fumigation and marketing; and
3. Date palm agroindustry is small/ underdeveloped and could generate more jobs and income along the whole value chain.

The relationship between desertification and climate change, combined with biodiversity loss, degradation of land and water shortage makes farming in the dry lands (especially in southern Iraq) increasingly difficult and challenging. In this context, the date palm is very useful, with its ability to withstand adverse climatic variations, in addition to providing an environment for farmers to grow a variety of crops. Date palm constitutes an important economic factor that provides income to a large number of farming communities particularly those residing in the arid regions. Moreover, FAO is aware of the ability of date palm to tolerate harsh climatic conditions and salinity renders it a significant potential resource in holding back or combating desertification.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Iraq, the technical guidance of the FAO Lead Technical Officer LTO at RNE, under direction of the Project Manager in Baghdad, the International Date Palm Specialist will work in close collaboration with project team in FAO Iraq and national consultants hired.

Technical Focus

The main responsibility of the international consultant is the design, implementation and M&E of the date palm project component. S/he will be supported by a national expert who will be responsible for daily communication with counterparts in government, academia and private sector. The work at hand starts with an assessment giving clarity on the project interventions and stakeholders involved, followed by giving hands-on technical support and advice to farmers in line with the project work plan and approved budget.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Supervise the work of a National Date Palm Expert on a day-to-day basis (for Consultants only);
• Review available reports produced by FAO (date value chain report), UN agencies, government, academia, etc. and conduct key informant interviews with farmers, government staff, processors, wholesalers, and transporters to identify/ verify main challenges to date palm sub-sector observed by farmers, government and private sector in the sub-sector in southern Iraq. More specifically:
  • Review best-cultivation practices to enhance yield and reduce post-harvest loss for both monoculture and mixed oasis farming systems;
  • Review conservation and utilization of date palm germplasm resources in light of climate change;
  • Assess main pest and diseases that affect the sub-sector, including the capacities of actors to respond to it, covering public and private sector;
  • Appraise the role of tissue culture according to the scale of production; and assess date palm agro-industry, products and marketing;
  • Review date palm tissue culture laboratories and evaluating their technical ability and laboratory capabilities and needs in terms of technicians and laboratory equipment
  • Assess existing public and private sector systems for extension and farmer support in the project areas, including their technical content, coverage, and effectiveness, specifically the degree to which they address considerations of environmental sustainability and the integrated management of farming systems;
• Undertake stakeholder and date palm’s value chain mapping exercises for the south of Iraq;
• Verify/amend project implementation strategy, budget and work plan based on above-mention review and mapping;
• Identify the date palm package of inputs that to be procured to support date palm farmers and preparing their technical specifications;
• Put together a procurement plan for inputs provision to beneficiaries;
• Prepare a detailed work-plan based on the above-mentioned strategy and procurement plan;
• Implement work plan and oversee distribution of inputs to project beneficiaries using global beneficiary accountability standards and practices;
• Draft a training strategy for each of the main stakeholders involved using FAO’s Farmer Field School and Farmer Business School approaches are the basis for training of farmers (grove owners) and other actors further downstream in the value chain. This includes an inclusive and responsive gender strategy;
• Develop a Trainer-of-Trainers (ToT) learning package that covers the main challenges/ solutions identified, starting with the proposition of solutions to sustainable land and water management practices, commercialization, Integrated Pest Management and postharvest handling practices;
• in collaboration with relevant technical FAO teams – starting with RNE Plant Protection Officer, identify and develop Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programme
• Prepare Farmers Field School (FFS) curricula tailored to the farmer’s needs in close collaboration with Ministry of Agriculture;
• Select extension staff from MOA to participate in the ToT and conduct the training programme in each of the three governorates;
• Follow up and coordination with the related authorities their contribution to the FFS programme;
• Make sure that all training materials will be available during the school’s session;
• Supervise and contribute to the establishment and running of the FFS and monitor and report the progress of the FFS and demonstrations plots activities;
• Support and supervise the M&E of the FFS component with support of the M&E Expert;
• Prepare monthly, quarterly/seasonal and annual reports according to FAO format;
• Prepare a final assignment report;
• Perform other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in a field related to agronomy, horticulture sciences, or other related areas;
• At least five years in agricultural development of date palm, covering essential parts as production of seedlings, water management, integrated pest management, processing and marketing;
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and limited knowledge of another FAO language for Consultants (preferably Arabic). Working knowledge of English is sufficient for PSA.SBS.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Expertise in date palm development
• Academic and practical experience in extension methods;
• Familiar with implementation of so-called Good Agricultural Practices and Climate Smart Agriculture
• Solid analytical and conceptual skills and the ability to think creatively.
• Excellent team leader and communication skills.
• Experience or knowledge of running small businesses is an added advantage.
• Good reporting skills.
• Experience with FFS curriculum preparation, technical and financial follow up and evaluation, demonstrated field experience and capacity in training;