Agriculture Officer at Netherlands Development Organization

Improved nutrition is critical to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Every year malnutrition claims the lives of 3 million children under five years and costs the global economy billions of dollars. Those who survive often live a life sentence with impaired growth and cognitive development. Stunting, the principal measure of chronic, or long-term malnutrition, has life-long consequences for health, human capital, economic development and prosperity. The steady decrease in stunting prevalence rates in children under 5 years signals progress. Zambia saw a reduction in stunting from 45.8% to 40% over a 10 year period. In Uganda, stunting has decreased from 45% in 1995 to 29% in 2017, however there are regional variations.1 Zambia is one of the seven countries suffering from Alarming rates of hunger, as reported in the recent Global Hunger Index (2017).2 Uganda is in the Serious hunger category.

Chronic malnutrition is an important example of a global challenge that spans multiple sectors, including health, agriculture and food systems, gender, water and sanitation. Although the links between the sectors are well recognised, in particular potential pathways between agriculture and nutrition, the evidence on how agriculture impacts on nutritional status is limited. Building on the results and reflections from Phase 1 Sustainable Nutrition for All, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, in partnership with the Centre for Development Innovation of Wageningen UR (CDI) and supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) will be implementing the Phase 2 proposal in which the agriculture component.

Purpose of the job: (Briefly describe the overall purpose or function of the job)

The Agriculture Officer, together with targeted households in the three districts, will facilitate the application of interventions that are aimed at contributing to towards improved agro biodiversity, crop production, livestock production and strengthening supply chain linkages. The officer shall ensure to employ market driven interventions based on improving efficiencies and management of biological processes. Specifically the Officer will facilitate Household production of a variety of crops, ensure households acquire CSA practices that enhance production and build resilience to climate and economic risks faced by the target communities in the three districts as well as organise sustainable market linkages. As much as possible, opportunities will be supported that increase youth and women incomes in potential value chains.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities: (In a series of brief statements describe the principal accountabilities of the job, i.e. specify activities and end results)

The  Agriculture Officer will work with key government and other partners to strengthen production of variety of crops among targeted Households, ensure household have appropriate agronomical skills that support crop and livestock production improvement and select potential value chains to support for market facilitation

Duties and Responsibilities include:

• Assessment of existing value chains that have the potential to be sustainable with all the target communities in the three districts
• Through existing strictures, strengthen the production of both crop and livestock to increase food access
• Through existing structures, develop the extension system that is sustainable and meets the needs of the target households
• Establish and strengthen the seed banks in the communities
• Support the establishment of demo plots in all target hubs and Villages
• Facilitate sustainable market linkages in the hubs with processing companies on the identified value chains
• Strengthening of adaption and mitigation capacities of enterprises within the value chains
• Livestock production skills
• Development of new concepts and proposals
• Documentation and sharing of results, lessons learnt
• Monthly management reports

Competencies, Capabilities and Attributes: (Skills/behavioral (Special Training or Competence) :

•  Demonstrated creativity, willingness to innovate, think systemically and work independently high-level interpersonal skills
• Strong background in gender integration and women empowerment desirable.
• Team player
•  Relationship builder
• Ability to work with a wide range of actors from different backgrounds (smallholder farmers, private sector companies, government, and NGOs)

Academic & professional qualifications, Knowledge and Experience: (detail Knowledge (Education & Related Experience)

• A minimum of a Degree in agribusiness, Agronomy, Natural Resources Management, Agricultural Economics, Rural Development/ relevant discipline or a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in agricultural value chains, Climate smart Agriculture and market-led approaches.
• Knowledge on conservation farming systems and approaches
• Demonstrated success in implementing programs with a measurement for results framework.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the latest developments in advancing good/best practices in value chain development, climate change and policy development that reaches the women, youth, the poor.
• Demonstrated experience in collaborating across projects.
• Interested to undertake extensive field work
• Working environment: (Kasama Office and 30 % of office time and 70% field time).

If you believe that your credentials meet the outlined profile, we invite you to apply by clicking the link provided below with your motivational letter and Curriculum Vitae in English on or before the 24th June,2019.

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