Phytosanitary and Apiculture Specialist

Organizational Setting

FAO Afghanistan is investing across all 34 provinces, in resilience reinforcing actions that focus on protecting agriculture livelihoods and local ecosystems, boosting local production of nutritious foods and cash-incomes, and safeguarding critical agriculture sectoral development gains achieved over the past couple of decades through revitalizing rural markets and economy. In 2024-2026, FAO will continue to implement emergency and longer-term, resilience-building projects and programmes in the context of the UN Strategic Framework for Afghanistan (UNSFA) and the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative, the direct supervision of the Emergency and Resilience Team Leader and technical supervision of the Team Leader of Crop production and plant protection team.

Technical Focus

Provide direct support to the FAOR with regard to core management functions and responsibilities.

Tasks and responsibilities

Apiculture:

• Prepared training material on the beekeeping management practices for IPs and beneficiaries.
• Provide support to the on-going apiculture interventions in its smooth implementation.
• Work with FAO implementation partner in on-time management of bee notifiable diseases and parasites.
• Conduct regular site visits to assess the progress of beekeeping activities and provide feedback to IPs and beneficiaries.
• Organize workshops or training sessions on marketing strategies for beekeeping products to help IPs generate income.
• Develop a monitoring and evaluation framework to track the impact of apiculture interventions on local communities.
• Facilitate networking opportunities for IPs to share experiences and best practices in beekeeping.
• Conduct research on climate change resilience strategies for beekeeping and disseminate findings to stakeholders.
• Explore opportunities for value addition in beekeeping products, such as honey processing or bee pollen collection.
• Establish a beekeeping cooperative or association to foster collaboration and collective marketing efforts among IPs.
• Develop educational materials or workshops and local communities to raise awareness about the importance of bees and beekeeping for biodiversity conservation.
• Provide technical support to any agriculture intervention if needed.

Mushroom:

• Develop and deliver comprehensive training programs to IPs on mushroom cultivation techniques, spawn production, and related best practices.
• Collaborate with IPs to assess their current knowledge and skill gaps in mushroom/spawn production and tailor capacity-building interventions accordingly.
• Provide technical guidance and support to IPs in setting up mushroom cultivation facilities, spawn production units, and maintaining optimal growing conditions.
• Conduct regular site visits to monitor the progress of IPs, offer hands-on assistance, and provide constructive feedback for improvement.
• Create educational materials, manuals, and resources on mushroom cultivation and spawn production techniques for dissemination among IPs.
• Facilitate knowledge exchange sessions, workshops, and peer learning opportunities to foster collaboration and shared learning among IPs.
• Stay updated on emerging trends, innovations, and advancements in mushroom cultivation and spawn production to continuously enhance capacity-building initiatives.
• Document success stories, lessons learned, and impact assessments of capacity-building activities to inform future programming and strategy development.
• Collaborate with monitoring and evaluation teams to track the performance and outcomes of capacity-building interventions and make data-driven adjustments as necessary.

Phytosanitary analysis:

• Oversee the quality of lab equipment pertaining phytosanitary analysis and proper installation of the same if procured by FAO.
• Prepared technical specification for lab equipment, reagent and chemical as needed if FAO decides to procure any phytosanitary analyses equipment.
• Establish a working environment with the technical component department within the FAO on taking clearance on the plant diseases lab items.
• Provide support to the phytosanitary system of the country for the improvement of the same if required.

Control of Locust and other pests:

• Oversee the locust situation in locust prone area and plan for its control.
• Liaison with relevant stakeholders including technical coordination in terms of locust control which needs to be actionable.
• Provide technical coordination and oversight to the locust control operation and capacity building of implementation partners / relevant stakeholders.
• Provide technical guidance and practical on-site technical support to locust control operations, including surveillance, mechanical and chemical control, monitoring, troubleshooting, and response activities, to ensure effective management of locust infestations as well as measurement of results and outcomes.
• Design and/or lead / conduct assessments of locust-affected areas in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to determine the extent of infestation, assess environmental factors, and identify suitable control measures.
• Train stakeholders on locust identification, monitoring techniques, control strategies, and safety protocols to enhance their capacity to respond promptly and effectively to locust outbreaks.
• Facilitate workshops, seminars, and hands-on training sessions for stakeholders to strengthen their knowledge and skills in locust control, pesticide application, equipment operation, and environmental safety practices.
• Collaborate with research institutions, agricultural extension services, and international partners to stay updated on the latest developments in locust biology, ecology, and control technologies.
• Develop and disseminate educational materials, manuals, and best practice guidelines on locust control and management for use by IPs and other stakeholders.
• Document lessons learned, success stories, and best practices in locust control operations and capacity-building efforts to inform future programming and policy decisions.
• Undertake similar technically sound actions, as mentioned above, for control of other plant pests (like Sunn pests, white bugs, and such) in case of any incidence of plant pests and based on FAO Afghanistan plans to undertake plant pest control.
• Undertake any other activities assigned by the Supervisor and/or FAOR.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced University (Master) degree or University (Bachelor) degree in Entomology, Plant Pathology or a closely related field;
• For an Advanced University degree, a minimum of four (4) years of professional experience in Plant Protection, apiculture and/or mushroom cultivation, or related area.
• For University degree a minimum of six (6) years of professional experience in Plant Protection, apiculture and/or mushroom cultivation, or related area.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and the local languages (Pashto and/or Dari);
• National of Afghanistan.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Ability to deliver outputs by agreed deadlines, sometimes at very short notice;
• Demonstrated ability to analyse problems, make appropriate recommendations, effective decisions, including in emergency settings;
• Ability to establish effective working relations with persons of different national and cultural backgrounds;
• Extent and relevance of experience in developing various strategic programming documents and preparing various written materials for strategic and high-level related meetings;
• Excellent organizational skills;
• Familiarity with the humanitarian architecture;
• Demonstrated experience working in complex environments is an advantage.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION