Tourism-Linked Farming Expert
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Job Description
Job Posting Organization:
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Established in 1945, FAO has over 194 member countries and works in more than 130 countries worldwide. The organization aims to achieve security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. FAO's mission is to help eliminate hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition, and to promote sustainable agriculture and rural development. The organization operates through various projects, including TCP/SAP/4105, which focuses on strengthening sustainable agrifood systems through tourism linkages in the Pacific region, specifically in Cook Islands and Fiji.
Job Overview:
The Tourism-Linked Farming Expert will play a crucial role in the FAO project TCP/SAP/4105, which aims to strengthen the connections between tourism operators, smallholder farmers, agribusinesses, and other value chain actors in the Pacific region. This position is home-based but requires travel to Cook Islands and Fiji. The expert will provide technical leadership and advisory support for the design and implementation of tourism-linked agrifood systems, focusing on market diagnostics, buyer-seller linkages, and enhancing the participation of women and youth in these systems. The role involves collaborating with various stakeholders, including government ministries, national experts, and service providers, to ensure the successful execution of the project and to promote commercially viable agrifood systems that enhance local food sourcing and improve rural incomes.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The expert will be responsible for a wide range of tasks, including reviewing project documents and national strategies to establish baselines and identify information gaps. They will conduct inception meetings with stakeholders to confirm the assignment scope and develop a detailed workplan. The expert will lead the development of Letters of Agreement with service providers in Cook Islands and Fiji, design tools for market diagnostics, and provide technical guidance to national experts. They will analyze market demand, local supply capacity, and food safety requirements, and develop pilot models for tourism-linked agrifood systems. Additionally, the expert will facilitate national validation workshops, integrate lessons learned into long-term strategies, and prepare technical notes and presentations to support market linkages and farmer readiness. Finally, they will organize a regional workshop to share insights and strengthen tourism-agrifood systems linkages across the Pacific region.
Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree in agriculture, agribusiness, agricultural economics, rural development, food systems, tourism development, or a related field. Those with a bachelor's degree must have two additional years of relevant professional experience. A minimum of five years of experience in agrifood systems, value chain development, market linkages, or agritourism is required. Additionally, candidates must have a working knowledge of English at level C, as well as strong technical knowledge of agrifood systems and market linkages relevant to small island developing states. The ability to assess tourism-sector demand and design commercially viable pilot models is essential, along with excellent analytical and communication skills.
Educational Background:
The position requires an advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in relevant fields such as agriculture, agribusiness, agricultural economics, rural development, food systems, tourism development, or value chain development. Candidates with a bachelor's degree must have two additional years of relevant professional experience to qualify for the position.
Experience:
Candidates should have at least five years of relevant experience in agrifood systems, value chain development, market linkages, agritourism, or rural enterprise development. Experience working with governments, development partners, and private sector actors in small island developing states or comparable contexts is highly desirable. The ability to facilitate multi-stakeholder consultations and partnerships is also important for this role.
Languages:
A working knowledge of English at level C is mandatory for this position. Proficiency in additional languages relevant to the Pacific region may be considered an asset, although not explicitly required.
Additional Notes:
This position is remote, with the expectation of travel to Cook Islands and Fiji for project implementation. The role is expected to be full-time, and candidates will be assessed based on their experience and qualifications related to tourism-linked agrifood systems and market linkage facilitation. The FAO emphasizes the importance of gender and youth inclusion in agrifood systems interventions, and candidates should demonstrate their capacity to support inclusive market access for smallholder farmers.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Established in 1945, FAO has over 194 member countries and works in more than 130 countries worldwide. The organization aims to achieve security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. FAO's mission is to help eliminate hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition, and to promote sustainable agriculture and rural development. The organization operates through various projects, including TCP/SAP/4105, which focuses on strengthening sustainable agrifood systems through tourism linkages in the Pacific region, specifically in Cook Islands and Fiji.
Job Overview:
The Tourism-Linked Farming Expert will play a crucial role in the FAO project TCP/SAP/4105, which aims to strengthen the connections between tourism operators, smallholder farmers, agribusinesses, and other value chain actors in the Pacific region. This position is home-based but requires travel to Cook Islands and Fiji. The expert will provide technical leadership and advisory support for the design and implementation of tourism-linked agrifood systems, focusing on market diagnostics, buyer-seller linkages, and enhancing the participation of women and youth in these systems. The role involves collaborating with various stakeholders, including government ministries, national experts, and service providers, to ensure the successful execution of the project and to promote commercially viable agrifood systems that enhance local food sourcing and improve rural incomes.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The expert will be responsible for a wide range of tasks, including reviewing project documents and national strategies to establish baselines and identify information gaps. They will conduct inception meetings with stakeholders to confirm the assignment scope and develop a detailed workplan. The expert will lead the development of Letters of Agreement with service providers in Cook Islands and Fiji, design tools for market diagnostics, and provide technical guidance to national experts. They will analyze market demand, local supply capacity, and food safety requirements, and develop pilot models for tourism-linked agrifood systems. Additionally, the expert will facilitate national validation workshops, integrate lessons learned into long-term strategies, and prepare technical notes and presentations to support market linkages and farmer readiness. Finally, they will organize a regional workshop to share insights and strengthen tourism-agrifood systems linkages across the Pacific region.
Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree in agriculture, agribusiness, agricultural economics, rural development, food systems, tourism development, or a related field. Those with a bachelor's degree must have two additional years of relevant professional experience. A minimum of five years of experience in agrifood systems, value chain development, market linkages, or agritourism is required. Additionally, candidates must have a working knowledge of English at level C, as well as strong technical knowledge of agrifood systems and market linkages relevant to small island developing states. The ability to assess tourism-sector demand and design commercially viable pilot models is essential, along with excellent analytical and communication skills.
Educational Background:
The position requires an advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in relevant fields such as agriculture, agribusiness, agricultural economics, rural development, food systems, tourism development, or value chain development. Candidates with a bachelor's degree must have two additional years of relevant professional experience to qualify for the position.
Experience:
Candidates should have at least five years of relevant experience in agrifood systems, value chain development, market linkages, agritourism, or rural enterprise development. Experience working with governments, development partners, and private sector actors in small island developing states or comparable contexts is highly desirable. The ability to facilitate multi-stakeholder consultations and partnerships is also important for this role.
Languages:
A working knowledge of English at level C is mandatory for this position. Proficiency in additional languages relevant to the Pacific region may be considered an asset, although not explicitly required.
Additional Notes:
This position is remote, with the expectation of travel to Cook Islands and Fiji for project implementation. The role is expected to be full-time, and candidates will be assessed based on their experience and qualifications related to tourism-linked agrifood systems and market linkage facilitation. The FAO emphasizes the importance of gender and youth inclusion in agrifood systems interventions, and candidates should demonstrate their capacity to support inclusive market access for smallholder farmers.
Info
Job Posting Disclaimer
This job posting is provided for informational purposes only. The accuracy of the job description, qualifications, and other details mentioned is the sole responsibility of the employer or the organization listing the job. We do not guarantee the validity or legitimacy of this job posting. Candidates are advised to conduct their own due diligence and verify the details directly with the employer before applying.
We are not liable for any decisions or actions taken by applicants in response to this job listing. By applying, you agree that all application processes, interviews, and potential job offers are managed exclusively by the listed employer or organization.
Beware of fraudulent job offers. Do not provide sensitive personal information or make any payments to secure a job.
We are not liable for any decisions or actions taken by applicants in response to this job listing. By applying, you agree that all application processes, interviews, and potential job offers are managed exclusively by the listed employer or organization.
Beware of fraudulent job offers. Do not provide sensitive personal information or make any payments to secure a job.