Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is the specialized agency of the United Nations for food, nutrition, agriculture, and forestry. FAO’s global vision is for a world free from hunger and malnutrition where food and agriculture contribute to improving the living standards of all, especially the poorest, in an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable manner.

FAO’s Subregional Office for the Caribbean (SLC) is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing, and implementing agreed strategies for addressing subregional food, agriculture, and rural development priorities. It develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions including regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs). The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (RLC), in Santiago, Chile. SLC is located in Barbados and is responsible for 13 countries of the subregion.

FAO has adapted from the Sustainable Food Value Chain methodology to design a programme for member states in the region to identify and systematically develop high potential agricultural value chains in the country to replace food imports, strengthen current supply and/or increase exports of agricultural products. The programme will improve the livelihoods of farming communities, create jobs and strengthen local food systems to supply affordable food products.

It is under this context; FAO is seeking to recruit a crop production specialist to perform the below-mentioned tasks.

Reporting Lines

The Crop Production Specialist works under the overall supervision of the Subregional Coordinator, Subregional Office for the Caribbean, technical and direct supervision of the Trade and Market Officer.

Technical Focus 

The Crop Production Specialist will provide technical support to the implementation of a project on the development of sustainable, resilient and competitive value chains through promotion of good agricultural practices (GAPs) and best practices in close collaboration with key partners. In addition, the specialist provides technical support, facilitate capacity building training, monitor and evaluate project implementation at field level.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Support the identification, planning, implementation, and monitoring of a comprehensive training programme to intensify production through the adoption of GAPs and technologies suitable for tropical fruits like soursop in the target area.
•    Provide technical support for the implementation of the identified practices and technologies.
•    Follow-up and monitor the progress of the implementation of training.
•    Participate in the preparation of technical guidelines, manuals, training materials and leaflets on improved production practices and best practices.
•    Provide training on good agricultural practices for soursop, integrated pest management (IPM), post-harvest management (PHM).
•    In collaboration with the project team participate in the design and implementation of baseline surveys to monitor the progress of implementation of GAPs and technologies on the selected beneficiary farms.
•    Compile and submit monthly reports on project implementation, highlighting constraints and positing solutions to meet the workplan objectives.
•    Perform other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    Advanced university degree in crop production.
•    6 years of relevant experience in soursop production
•    Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of a second FAO language (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian) for Consultants. Working knowledge of English for PSA.SBS.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Work experience in more than one location or area of work
•    Extent and relevance of experience in good agricultural practices for fruit tree crop production such as soursop, mangoes, coconuts and passion fruit.
•    Extent and relevance of experience in in integrated pest management (IPM).