Vegetables Integrated crop management practices /GAP Specialist

Organizational Setting

The United Nations Productive Sectors Development Programme (PSDP) aims to support gender-responsive job creation and economic opportunities in the agriculture and agro-food sectors. Six UN organizations have joined efforts to implement this programme: UNIDO, FAO, UNDP, ILO, UN Women and UNICEF.

The PSDP includes interventions on three levels: the macro (national policy), meso (institutional) and micro levels. The micro-level aims at improved capacity of women farmers, women-led cooperatives and women-led micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as well as male-led entities in productive sectors to create and sustain gender equitable job opportunities and adopt environmentally sustainable practices. The programme has selected pilot value chains such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and pulses and the pilot areas of Akkar and North of Lebanon for the micro-level implementation.

With the aim of ensuring food safety and quality standards of agricultural produce within the selected value chains, 250 men and women farmers and 20 men and women farm workers, will be supported through awareness sessions and technical training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). Women and men farmers will be further supported through monitoring their improved practices and provision of related inputs to help them acquire GAP certifications.

Reporting Lines

Vegetables Integrated crop management practices /GAP specialist will report to the project manager/CTA

Technical Focus

• Conduct field assessment of current farm practices, crop management and pest control practices and input use;
• Recommend improved practices for an Integrated Crop Management (ICM) including Integrated Pest management (IPM);
• Develop a training programme for improved practices of women and men farmers with gender lens;
• Develop a specific related training module for men and women workers on beneficiaries’ farms;
• Conduct ToT and coaching of project/MoA/IDRAC facilitators for the use and implementation of the training modules;
• Deliver 20 training sessions for farmers for improved skills taking into consideration women’s and men’s different roles in these activities, their different needs and capacities. A needs assessment (administered to a gender-balanced pilot group) will be undertaken to tailor the training module in the most effective way. The training will ensure a gender-sensitive and inclusive language (e.g. through examples and photos, avoiding gender stereotypes and biases in the material prepared); if needed, it will be made accessible to make with a lower level of literacy and education and lesser exposure to agricultural technical training;
• Provide training and field technical support to farmers (both women and men) on farm practices, pest management and crop management;
• Prepare list of inputs need for improved farm practices in line with the field assessment and training program, and in particular to IPM and ICM;
• Develop milestones for farmers training acquired skills and application of the recommended GAP linked with input provision and use;
• Train project/MoA/IDRAC facilitators on collecting above milestones;
• Assist in collecting baseline and end line information about the selected farmers’ agricultural practices before, during and post training;

Tasks and responsibilities

• Conduct field assessment of current farm practices, crop management and pest control practices and input use;

• Recommend improved practices for an Integrated Crop Management (ICM) including Integrated Pest management (IPM);

• Revise existing training materials on GAP of FAO and MoA and other sources;
• Develop a training programme for improved practices of women and men farmers with gender lens and with following specific modules:
  • Crop production (use of cultivars, crop sequence, best cultural practices, organic fertilization…);
  • Crop protection (IPM use and techniques, store and use of agrochemicals and its related tools to minimum use and application to established safety and maintenance standards, maintaining accurate records of agrochemical use, pheronomes and pheromones traps use…);
  • Harvest, and on farm storage and processing;
  • Farmers and farm-Workers welfare, health and safety.
• Develop a specific related training module for men and women workers on beneficiaries’ farms;
• Conduct ToT and coaching of project/MoA/IDRAC facilitators for the use and implementation of the training modules;
• Deliver 20 training sessions for farmers for improved skills taking into consideration women’s and men’s different roles in these activities, their different needs and capacities. A needs assessment (administered to a gender-balanced pilot group) will be undertaken to tailor the training module in the most effective way. The training will ensure a gender-sensitive and inclusive language (e.g. through examples and photos, avoiding gender stereotypes and biases in the material prepared); if needed, it will be made accessible to make with a lower level of literacy and education and lesser exposure to agricultural technical training;
• Provide training and field technical support to farmers (both women and men) on farm practices, pest management and crop management;
• Prepare list of inputs need for improved farm practices in line with the field assessment and training program, and in particular to IPM and ICM;
• Develop milestones for farmers training acquired skills and application of the recommended GAP linked with input provision and use;
• Train project/MoA/IDRAC facilitators on collecting above milestones;
• Assist in collecting baseline and end line information about the selected farmers’ agricultural practices before, during and post training;
• Document any success story related to women’s and young farmers’ uptake of ICM and IPM practices;
• Prepare reports as needed by the management.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University Degree in Agriculture /Crop Production/Protection;
• Minimum 7 years of experience in farmers’ development and training in ICM at farm level within the private sector;
• Good knowledge of latest techniques and technologies available in the Lebanese market for the vegetables sector for GAP;
• Good knowledge of the vegetables growers and local conditions of Akkar and north of Lebanon;
• Previous work with food standards and GAP certification related institutions is a plus
• Working knowledge of English and Arabic;
• Nationality of Lebanon or resident in the country with a regular work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Ability to combine, synthesize and analyse information;
• Good relational skills with people with different education levels, and social and cultural background;
• Proven skills of report writing and communication in English and Arabic very good knowledge of the communication and documentation standards.