National Specialist On-Farm conservation

Organizational Setting

FAO is implementing a Global Environmental Facility project, jointly with IOM, UNICEF and UN Women, titled “Facilitating agrobiodiversity (ABD) conservation and sustainable use to promote food and nutritional resilience in Tajikistan”. The project objective is the Conservation, Sustainable Use and Securing of the national and globally significant agrobiodiversity and the associated knowledge and cultural aspects of traditional agro-ecosystems of Tajikistan. This encompasses the valuation and maintenance crop landraces, crop wild relatives and their associated knowledge and cultural methods within the traditional agro-ecosystems of Tajikistan.

The project supports building an evidence-based conservation planning approach that includes the production of inventories of diversity; mapping hotspots; the identification of stakeholders and the fostering of linkages between them. The project is organized into 3 components:

Component 1: Agrobiodiversity conservation and policy enhancement to benefit local communities; Component 2: Strengthening local community and breeding sector’s capacity to use the breadth of indigenous agrobiodiversity and ensure climate resilience; Component 3: Support policy development, knowledge management, improved financing and monitoring and evaluation.

The project is built on current initiatives and processes and involves several stakeholders, including farmers, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector to assure its sustainability after the project is over. Furthermore, the project promotes gender equality and women’s empowerment by supporting women’s participation and decision-making capabilities; improving access to resources and technologies; and, creating financial opportunities for income-generating activities.

Reporting Lines

The National Specialist on-farm conservation will work under the overall supervision of the FAOR in Tajikistan, and under the technical guidance and supervision of the Project Lead Technical Officer (LTO) and National Technical Officer and/ or National Project Coordinator, and relevant technical and programme units in FAO Representation Office in Tajikistan, Sub-regional Office (SEC) and Regional (REU) and at Headquarters in Rome. He/She will co-operate closely with national counterparts, including local authorities (Hukumat/ Jamoat), local farmers and national consultants, as well as with local/ regional branches of Ministry of Agriculture, CoEP, Forest Agency, Protected Areas, and the joint PUNOs implemented this project.

Technical Focus

Local communities’ cultivation and management practices: • Inventories completed of on-farm/in-nature populations, and gap analysis and found difference between the ABD diversity population in the wild in nature or cultivated on-farm (conserved either using in-situ or ex-situ techniques); • Capacity building program developed and implemented among local communities: - 40 active on-farm sites, covering 800 ha (out of total of 80 active on-farm sites covering 1,600 hectares) established for the maintenance of crop landraces; - At least 700 farmers (out of total of 1,400 farmers) trained with improved skills for on-farm management of landrace diversity (50% women); - At least 30 (out of total 60) conservation professional & field staff trained and promoting on-farm maintenance of landrace diversity (50% women); • Local community and broader stakeholder actively involved in the process of strategy preparation, overall goals and implementation plans (means of verification: protocols of the public hearings, meetings, roundtable discussions; • Networks of on-farm conservation for crop landraces and genetic reserves for in-situ CWR conservation in Tajikistan established.

Technical and organizational assistance to community seed bank and seed exchange projects: - Seed management initiatives (on-going, planned) at local level identified, diagnosed and selected; - Number of Protected areas and local community backup LR/CWR conserved diversity in ex-situ gene bank; - Seed Sample Integration promoted into the National Gene Bank and district-based community seed banks; - Cultivation and maintenance practices of indigenous landraces improved/ enhanced, mainly on: (i) seed sowing, (ii) crop cultivation, (iii) harvesting, (iv) seed storage, (v) crop product development; - At least 200 seed accessions of 15 crops and 100 CWR (out of total of 400 seed accessions of 30 crops and 200 CWR) established in seed bank and 200 LR and 50 CWR accessions (out of total of 400 LR and 100 CWR accessions) characterized and evaluated; - Number of Seed accessions and CWR held in the national gene bank; - 2 district-based community seed banks (out of total of 3 district-based community seed banks) established for conserved landraces and crop wild relatives and accessible to local and remote users.

Tasks and responsibilities

The National Specialist on-farm conservation will be responsible for the below mentioned: • Review local communities’ cultivation and management practices: - Start inventories of on-farm/in-nature populations, and gap analysis to compare the ABD diversity found in the wild in nature or cultivated on-farm with the sample of that diversity that is actively conserved either using in-situ or ex-situ techniques; - Develop and implement capacity building program for local communities to support on-farm maintenance of traditional crop landraces, with special attention to women groups; - Ensure active engagement of local community and broader stakeholder in the process of strategy preparation, overall goals and implementation plans. - Plan, design and establish on-farm sites; - Manage and monitor on-farm population. • Provide direct technical and organizational assistance to community seed bank and seed exchange projects: - Identify, diagnose and select seed management initiatives that are in progress or planned by local and external stakeholders; - Provide direct technical and organizational assistance to community seed bank and seed exchange projects, through ongoing support by local technicians and project advisers; - Improving traditional varieties through plant breeding and seed processing; - Promote in-situ and on-farm conservation in natural areas and within farmer fields and ex-situ genetic collections, propagate and distribute the seeds and planting materials for enhancing agrobiodiversity within the landscape; - Promote Seed Sample Integration into the National Gene Bank and district-based community seed banks; - Improve the maintenance of agrobiodiversity through adjustment of cultivation and maintenance practices of indigenous landraces: (i) seed sowing, (ii) crop cultivation, (iii) harvesting, (iv) seed storage, (v) crop product development; - Ensure the continuity of the domestication and diversification processes and conservation of local seed that can help reducing the uniformity of global crops and their vulnerability to extreme climatic events; • Provide support to local technicians and project advisers. • Support the Management and monitoring of on-farm population. • Promote formation of a Networks of on-farm conservation for crop landraces and genetic reserves for in-situ CWR conservation in Tajikistan.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree(s) in agriculture (agrobiodiversity), natural resources management (land, water, forest, pasture), biology, endemic genetic resources and reserves or related fields. • A minimum of 5 years work experience on planning, coordination and implementation of inventories of on-farm/in-nature populations, and gap analysis with a purpose to compare the ABD diversity found in the wild in nature or cultivated on-farm with the sample of that diversity that is actively conserved either using in-situ or ex-situ techniques; development of capacity building programme for local farmers on-farm maintenance of traditional crop landraces; establishment of community see banks and promotion of integration into NGB; • Working knowledge of Tajik and Russian, English is an asset; • National or Resident of Tajikistan.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Extent and relevance of experience in the gap analysis, assessment, formulation, analysis, planning and/or implementation of projects related to conducting of inventories of on-farm/in-nature populations, and gap analysis with a purpose to compare the ABD diversity found in the wild in nature or cultivated on-farm with the sample of that diversity that is actively conserved either using in-situ or ex-situ techniques; development of capacity building programme for local farmers on-farm maintenance of traditional crop landraces; establishment of community see banks and promotion of integration into NGB; • Relevance of knowledge and experience in climate reliance and natural resources management (land, water, forest, pasture); and breeding and production of agrobiodiversity crop products/ food crops, on-farm and in wild landscapes. • Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions within Tajikistan. • Understanding of FAO policies and programmes is considered an asset; • Proficiency in Tajik is an strong asset and an advantage.

Selection Criteria

• Prove professional education degree on agrobiodiversity, natural resource management, climate resilience, biology, endemic genetic resources governance (inventory, reserve), or relevant fields; • Demonstratable experience (5 years) in the planning, coordination and implementation of inventories of on-farm/in-nature populations, and gap analysis with a purpose to compare the ABD diversity found in the wild in nature or cultivated on-farm with the sample of that diversity that is actively conserved either using in-situ or ex-situ techniques; development of capacity building programme for local farmers on-farm maintenance of traditional crop landraces; establishment of community see banks and promotion of integration into NGB; • Skills such as preparation of policy gap analysis, analytical and evidence-based reports/ technical assessment/ survey; • Experience on development of CB/ training programmes and delivery trainings to local farmers on on-farm maintenance of traditional crop LRs/CWR (Certificate, etc.); • Knowledge on the project areas of intervention; • Excellent working knowledge of Excel/ Word and other software (PowerPoint, etc.). • Capacity for data collection and for information management system (database)/ exchange/ networking; • Analytical and report writing skills (including technical reports, statistical reports); • Experience on assessment on conducting inventory of indigenous ABD diversity, seed population, and establishment of seed banks.