Interesting value chain analysis in Ecuador on coffee – expert needed!

26th December 2019
by secretary

Agrinatura News

We are glad to share with you a new call for experts for a very interesting value chain analysis in Ecuador on coffee.

The profiles are detailed below. Each expert will have 45 working days (50 for the team leader).The period for the study is February – July 2020.

The ToR will be circulated as soon as approved – but this is expected to be a standard study, undertaken by using the VCA4D methodology, as described in the ‘Methodological Brief. Tools and Methods’. https://europa.eu/capacity4dev/value-chain-analysis-for-development-vca4d-/documents/methodological-brief-v12

Please send the CVs of candidates to sara.baumgart@agrinatura-eu.eu and giorgia.mei@agrinatura-eu.eu , by Friday, 10^th January 2020, COB.

Context

Coffee was one of the main export crop in the 1970s, but production dropped greatly due to the price crises of the 1990s/2000s. Coffee production has been revamped in recent years, focusing on high-quality coffee. Currently, Ecuador is a small coffee producer but has favourable geographic and climate conditions. Both Robusta and Arabica are grown, and there are 3 main areas of production (although coffee is grown across 23 out of 24 regions): half the production (mainly Arabica) is in the Manabí region along the Pacific coast, while superior arabica is produced in the Loja province and Robusta is grown in the Amazon areas. It is mostly produced on small plantations (1-4ha), generally family-owned and with low input use.

Ecuador has also an industry for the soluble instant coffee, which relies mainly on imports of (mainly Vietnamese Robusta) coffee. To keep responding to the huge demand in volume of the soluble-coffee industry and to meet a growing domestic consumption, there is scope for Ecuador to increase its production.

The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Production and Trade are engaged in supporting the coffee value chain to improve its productivity, quality and competitiveness. They envisage to define a plan of competitiveness with strategic objectives, similar to the one available for cocoa. The VCA4D study has been requested by the EUD, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Production and Trade, to have a reference document with evidence-based information on the present situation of the chain, that will feed the above-mentioned ‘Plan de Competitividad’.

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Experts’ profiles

Agricultural economist

S/he is a senior expert with deep knowledge and experience on value chain analysis from an economic point of view. S/he will elaborate financial and economic accounts of the VC actors and the VC (and VC sub-systems) as specified in the toolkit (see https://europa.eu/capacity4dev/value-chain-analysis-for-development-vca4d-/documents/methodological-brief-v12).

S/he is able to undertake a full functional analysis with the support of his/her colleagues.

Experience on economic analysis in value chain, and in particular in developing countries, is required.

Experience in the coffee value chain is highly appreciated.

Professional experience in Ecuador is an asset.

Knowledge of Spanish is required.

A collective training or at least an individual introduction to the software AFA will be made to the Economist prior to the first mission. In the case the training cannot be done before the first mission, it will be done before the second mission.

S/he will provide a report on Functional Analysis and Economic Analysis that will be included in the final report.

S/he will help the team leader to: (i) define the typology of actors that will be adopted throughout the study, (ii) formulate an executive summary and conclusions that combine the results of the different analyses in order to answer the framing questions and to finalise the report (rereading, formatting the report…).

Social expert

S/he is a senior expert with deep knowledge of and experience on social issues related to agricultural value chains in developing countries the project wants to delve into (gender equality, land and water rights, working conditions, living conditions, social capital, food and nutrition security).

S/he has experience at least in one (but preferably 2 of 3) of these domains and is able to handle and inform on the other ones.

Specific experience in social analysis of the agricultural sector in developing countries is required.

Experience in social aspects of the coffee value chain is an asset.

Professional experience in Ecuador is compulsory.

Knowledge of Spanish is required.

Experience in stakeholder management or policy and practice capacities are a plus.

An introduction to the Social Profile as a guiding tool will be made to the Social Expert prior to the first mission.

S/he will provide a report on Social Analysis that will be included in the final report, based on a completed Social Profile.

3) Environmental/LCA expert

S/he is a senior expert with deep knowledge of and experience on the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA).

Experience on LCA value chain analysis in developing countries is required.

Experience in the coffee VC is appreciated.

Professional experience in Ecuador will be appreciated.

Knowledge of Spanish is required.

S/he will preferably use the SimaPro software for LCA.

S/he will provide a report on Environmental Analysis (together with the other environmental expert) that will be included in the final report.

4) Coffee Value Chain National Expert

S/he is a specialist of the coffee value chain in Ecuador.

Relevant knowledge of the national institutions (technical, economic and political ones) and stakeholders involved in the coffee value chain is required.

At the beginning of the study, s/he will provide overall information on the value chain, identifying key players and existing and relevant information and data for the analyses. The national expert will help to select the most relevant data from available sources, to clarify inconsistencies and to improve coherence between analyses.S/he will facilitate and complete the data collection, in agreement to guidelines of the Team Leader.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to get in contact!

photo credit: https://elproductor.com/noticias/productores-cafetaleros-y-cacaoteros-aprendieron-sobre-nutricion-de-sus-cultivos/

Interesting value chain analysis in Ecuador on coffee – expert needed!

We are glad to share with you a new call for experts for a very interesting value chain analysis in Ecuador on coffee.

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