National Tomato Specialist

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 tomatoes.

Value Chain: Tomatoes

Tomatoes are the most commonly grown vegetable in Iraq. According to the MoA (2019) around 771 000 tons are produced nationwide, with high production in Karbala, Basra and Najaf. Tomatoes can be successfully cultivated in a range of soils, including sand and even heavy clay, although the soil must be well drained and sufficient water must be available to have an optimal yield. Farmers in the south face high water salinity as an additional constraint. FAO found that the tomato value chain is dominated by family businesses, where access to financial services is limited. The role of the government and subsidies provided are relatively small - as no fertilizers and seeds for the tomato crop are provided. Farmers generally lack knowledge about Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), which negatively affect both yield and quality of their produce. Beyond the production cycle, the value chain is characterized by poor post-harvest management, such as sorting and grading, and there is a clear lack of proper packaging, cold chain infrastructure, storage facilities and processing plants increases losses, issues that also apply to other perishable commodities. Losses can further occur in transit due to bad road conditions and delays at checkpoints, increasing physical damage and exposure to high temperatures. This typically forces farmers to sell immediately, negatively impacting prices and limiting the season of locally available product. A map of the tomato value chain has been included to illustrate the steps in the 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. The push for more efficient use of water and post-harvest management techniques, equipment and facilities should enable reduced food losses and overall more efficient water use.

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 direct supervision of the International Tomato Specialist, the National Tomato Specialist will work in close collaboration with project team in FAO Iraq and national consultants hired.

Technical Focus

The main responsibility of the national consultant is to support the International Tomato expert with the design, implementation and M&E of the tomato project component. This will start 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. A large focus of the national expert will be the communication with national counterparts, including the government of Iraq.

Tasks and responsibilities

The National expert will assist the International Tomato Specialist in achieving the following:

• Ensure regular and open communication between FAO and the Government of Iraq – starting with Governor’s offices in Basra, Missan and Thi-Qar as well as Directorates of Agriculture and Directorates of Water Resources, as instructed by supervisors;
• Contribute to the review available reports produced by FAO (tomato 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 Tomato sub-sector observed by farmers, government and private sector in the sub-sector in southern Iraq. More specifically:
  • Review of best-cultivation practices to enhance yield and reduce post-harvest loss existing farming systems;
  • Review of needed research and multiplication (on-farm and public and private nurseries) and distribution methods resources in light of climate change;
  • Assess strengths and weaknesses of tomato value chain, including post-harvest management, products and marketing;
  • Assessment of 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;
• Support stakeholder and value chain mapping exercises for the south of Iraq;
• Contribute to strategy development of the project
• Support the implementation of the work plan and oversee distribution of inputs to project beneficiaries
• Support the M&E of the FFS component and reporting using FAO format;
• Perform other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in a field related to agronomy and horticulture sciences, rural development, food sciences, and other related areas;
• At least five years in agricultural development of Tomato – in areas as research on seedling production, water management, integrated pest management, post-harvest management, etc.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and Arabic language.
• Iraqi National.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Expertise in Tomato development
• Academic and practical experience in extension methods;
• Experience with FFS curriculum preparation, demonstrated field experience and capacity in training
• 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 communication skills.
• Experience or knowledge of running small businesses is an added advantage.
• Good reporting skills.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help please contact: [email protected]
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/