VCA4D//Cote d’Ivoire – Cashew – call for experts!

04th March 2022
by secretary

Agrinatura News

We are glad to share with you a new call for experts for a value chain analysis in Cote d’Ivoire on cashew.

Details on the profiles of the different experts are provided below. Each expert will have 45 working days (50 for the team leader).The period for the study is April-October 2022, with two field missions envisaged between April and September 2022.

The ToR will be circulated as soon as approved – but this is expected to be a standard study, undertaken by using the VCA4D methodology toolkit, as described in the ‘Methodological Brief. Tools and Methods’ : https://europa.eu/capacity4dev/value-chain-analysis-for-development-vca4d-/wiki/1-vca4d-methodology

Please send the CVs of candidates to vca4d@agrinatura-eu.eu , by Friday 18^th March 2022.

Context

Cashew production in Cote d’Ivoire is booming. The country is world leading producer and exporter, with almost 1 million t produced in 2021 and production increasing by about 10% per year. It is also the first African processor.

With global demand on constant rise, Cote d’Ivoire has opportunities in terms of jobs and wealth creation and empowerment of vulnerable actors, but also challenges. Cashew farmers are often also cocoa producers in different seasons, and this favours the transfer of knowledge and techniques from the cocoa sector. However, there are rising problems and tensions such as: the difficulty to control the price, the pressure on land exploitation that can lead also to conflicts, the risk of deforestation as well as the occupation of protected areas, etc. Moreover, local processing is not able to face the increasing production, neither the competition from larger foreign processing actors (such as Vietnam and India).

The EU is supporting the regional programme Competitive Cashew Initiative (ComCashew), co-funded by the EU and implemented by GIZ.

With the new programming phase under definition for 2021-2027, the EU might envisage further specific support to the cashew value chain in Cote d’Ivoire. For this reason, a VCA4D analysis is requested in order to have an evidence-based knowledge on the situation of the value chain, the opportunities and the challenges to deal with to put the basis for future investments promoting a more inclusive and sustainable development of this strategic sector.
The EU considers also the VCA4D analysis an important source to reinforce the policy dialogue with the government – already started in the framework of the EU sustainable cocoa initiative – for the promotion of more environmentally sustainable value chains, including cashew, addressing the common challenges of resource depletion, the respect of biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as the fight to deforestation and climate change.

*Experts profiles
1) 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 (and its sub-systems) as a whole and of its actors. He/she will analyse the VC from the different actors’ perspectives, as well as its contribution to the main economic indicators (GDP, balance of trade, public finance, etc.). He/she will be at ease with the concepts of income distribution, job creation, growth and distributive effects, viability of the VC in the international economy, etc. S/he will undertake a full functional analysis with the support of his/her colleagues.

Experience on economic analysis in value chain is required.

Experience in developing countries is required.

Professional experience in Cote d’Ivoire is an asset.

Experience in the cashew value chain is highly appreciated.

Knowledge of French is required.

Experience in stakeholders’ management (including relations with high level officials and private sector) and analysis of public policies are a plus.

The economist will coordinate and consolidate the functional analysis, compiling the contributions from all experts. S/he will provide a Functional and Economic Analysis that will be included in the final report.

A collective training or at least an individual introduction to the AFA software will be made 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 help the team leader (if another member of the team) 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 (reading, formatting of the report…). The expert will collaborate and integrate the analysis on market trends provided by COLEACP.

2) 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, particularly on inclusiveness of the most vulnerable groups.

The expert has experience at least in two of the social domains covered by VCA4D (working conditions, land and water rights, gender equality, food and nutrition security, social capital, living conditions) and is able to handle and inform on the other ones.

Experience in social analysis of the agricultural sector is required, and specific experience on social issues in developing countries is strongly appreciated.

Experience in social aspects of cashew value chain is an asset.

Professional experience in Cote d’Ivoire is compulsory.

Knowledge of French is required.

Experience in stakeholders’ management (including relations with high level officials and private sector) and analysis of public policies are a plus.

The social expert will provide a social analysis to be included in the report, on the basis of the VCA4D Social Profile. An introduction on how to complete the Social Profile will be made prior to the first mission.

The Social Expert will also support the economist for the analysis on inclusiveness and the LCA expert to deal with the Biodiversity Analysis.

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 (reading, formatting of the report…).

3) Environmental/LCA expert

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

Experience on value chain analysis in developing countries is appreciated.

Experience in cashew VCs is an asset.

Professional experience in Cote d’Ivoire will be appreciated.

Experience in the environmental analysis of fair trade and organic certification and schemes is an asset.

Knowledge of French is required.

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

S/he will provide the part of the report on the Environmental Analysis that will be included in the final report. His/her analysis will focus on the analysis of damages on resources, ecosystems and human health, as well as on the impacts on climate change. The expert will also integrate and complement (with the support of the social expert) an analysis of biodiversity, part of which will be provided by the JRC.

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 (reading, formatting of the report…).

4) National Expert

S/he is a specialist of the cashew value chain in Cote d’Ivoire.

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

At the beginning of the study, s/he will provide general information on the value chain, identifying key players and existing 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 the guidelines of the Team Leader. S/he will facilitate the contact between the whole team and the local stakeholders.

Depending on the organization chosen by the team, his/her work can be deployed before the missions (preparation of the mission of the colleagues), during the missions (support of colleagues during missions), between missions (collection of additional information, supervision of data collection, etc.), even after missions (additional information).

VCA4D//Cote d’Ivoire – Cashew – call for experts!

We are glad to share with you a new call for experts for a value chain analysis in Cote d’Ivoire on cashew.

Details on the profiles of the different experts are provided below. Each expert will have 45 working days (50 for the team leader).The period for the study is April-October 2022, with two field missions envisaged between April and September 2022.

Please send the CVs of candidates to vca4d@agrinatura-eu.eu , by Friday 18th March 2022.

Context

*Experts profiles 1) Agricultural economist

2) Social expert

3) Environmental/LCA expert

4) National Expert

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Please send the CVs of candidates to vca4d@agrinatura-eu.eu , by Friday 18^th March 2022.

*Experts profiles
1) Agricultural economist