Farmers Field School Expert

Farmers Field School Expert - Climate-Smart Livelihoods Initiatives and Market Access Tailoring (CLIMAT)

CLIMAT is a one-year Food for Training (FFT) project implemented by Cooperation Without Borders (CWB) and the Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) at the American University of Beirut and funded by the German Cooperation through the World Food Program (WFP). It aims to sustainably improve the skills, capacities and livelihood opportunities of vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian refugees in Northeast Baalbeck and West Bekaa. CLIMAT will build capacities for women and youth, provide agriculture training for individuals and cooperatives including skills building and material support, and create market linkages. Three value chains will be targeted including small ruminant production, alternative and climate-smart agricultural crop production, and agro-food processing.   

Under this project, CWB is seeking to recruit a Farmers Field School Expert with an extensive experience on agriculture and climate smart production systems in addition to participatory, and interactive learning approach. He/she shall emphasize discovery-based learning and work on building farmers’ capacities to analyze their production systems, identify problems, and test possible solutions, in addition to encouraging them to adopt the practices most suitable to their farming systems.

Objectives

The objective of the Farmers Field School Expert position is to integrate local communities in agricultural processes in the different demonstrational plots through an innovative, participatory and interactive approach. He/she shall facilitate the collective identification of problems, the testing of possible solutions, the monitoring of agricultural processes, and the encouragement of participants to adopt climate smart practices.

Scope of Work

The Farmers Field School Expert will be primarily responsible of the following activities:

• Direct and coordinate agricultural activities, such as planting, irrigation, chemical application, harvesting, grading, and recordkeeping

• Integrate local beneficiaries in agricultural processes, planning and implementation

• Conduct farmer’s meetings and gatherings

• Facilitate and conduct group observation, discussion, analysis, presentation, and collective decision making and actions

• Build farmers’ individual and group self-confidence and develop their problem-solving capacity

• Ensure that beneficiaries are aware of the climate smart best practices

• Generate context-based solutions led by both farmers and professionals

• Conduct participatory Monitoring and Evaluation and keep record of impacts

• Record information, such as production, farm management practices, and parent stock, and prepare financial and operational reports

• Determine procedural changes in drying, grading, storage, and shipment for greater efficiency and accuracy

• Analyze soil and inspect fields for proper intervention to maximize production

• Plan and direct with local communities the development and production of hybrid plant varieties with high yield or disease and insect resistant characteristics

• Advice purchases of machinery, equipment, and supplies, such as seeds, fertilizers, and chemicals

• Coordinate with the Agriculture Engineer in charge

• Relocate or face a longer commute as and when required

Essential Minimum Qualifications

• Advanced university degree in agriculture

• Proven work experience in Climate-Smart production systems, Farmers Field Schools approach, and farm management

• Strong time-management and multitasking skills

• Knowledge and exposure to the social and cultural values of the country

• Excellent teamwork and communication skills

• Excellent knowledge of Arabic and English languages 

Period

12 months from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019

How to Apply

• Deadline to submit CV: December 15, 2018

• Interested candidates should send their CV to: [email protected]