Summary
Date Posted: Tuesday, June 11 2024, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Position Description
Training on Integration of Horticulture and Staple Crops
Location Tanzania
Department Programs
Employment Type Volunteer
USAID-Funded
Farmer-to-Farmer Access to Finance Program
Scope of Work
Training on Integration of Horticulture and Staple Crops

Description of the Program:
Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC) serves as the lead implementer for the Farmer-to-Farmer Access to Finance Program (F2F A2F) to address deficits in the financial ecosystem hindering investment and growth in agriculture for individual farmers, as well as micro, small, and medium – sized enterprises through the delivery of volunteer technical assistance . IESC has designed a thematic F2F program to generate sustainable, broad-based economic growth and create jobs in the agricultural sector with a special focus on assistance to women and youth. Focusing on Kenya, Tanzania, and Liberia , the F2F A2F Program will work with local partner organizations and volunteer hosts to field pro bono experts from the U.S. agriculture, corporate, and banking sectors to address systemic capacity constraints for farmers and lenders in each targeted country and unlock finance for improved agricultural production leading to utilization of agricultural technologies and increased sales and incomes.

Problem Statement:
Tanzania n horticulture is a small dynamic sector w ith huge potential for poverty reduction , dietary d iversi fication, and economic growth. Tanzania has a diverse climate that produce a large volume and wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Farming efficiently has been a challenge for many farmers, and the lack of farming education has caused many to remain subsistence farmers. Tanzania’s main food crops ( staple foods such as maize, rice, cassava, and millet ) all take a long time to harvest , and they perpetuate d iets dominated by starchy foods. L evels of malnutrition are high and largely attributed to lack of dietary diversity. Integrating horticultural crops with staple food crops will improve the income of smallholder farmers , increase diversity of production , and enhance diets.

Farmer-to-Farmer Access to Finance has partnered with a local NGO in Songea , Tanzania focusing on i mproving peoples’ livelihoods through a gribusiness. The host supports farmers through training i n good agriculture practices, connect ing farmers with markets to sell their produce , and supporting access to loans from financial institutions. The host works with farmers that produce staple food crops such as maize, rice, potatoes , and millet . Training farmers on the importance of integrating horticulture crops will help them improve production and dietary diversity . By introducing fruits and vegetables into production systems and making them available for home consumption in smallholder households , farmers can also sell the ir horticulture produce and be able to pay off their loans quicker than waiting for the harvest of staple crops.

The local NGO needs to equip its field team with horticultur e growing practices and their integration with staple crops skills. This will help train farmers to grow a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. F2F A2F is recruiting a U.S. citizen or permanent resident experienced volunteer expert in horticulture , especially integrating long- period crops with short-period crops. The host needs support to train its farmers in horticulture practices and benefits.

Objective of the Assignment:
1. S upport and build the capacity of the local NGO field team on the best horticulture growing practices and ways to integrate farmers’ long-term staple food crops with short-term horticulture crops efficiently and sustainably. This should include b uild ing capacity on the importance of using the right horticultural inputs ( seeds , fertilizers , etc ) and suggest appropriate technology to use to achieve the best results in the area such as irrigation schemes and the likes.
2.
Deliverables:
1. Training materials on the cultivation of h orticultural crops and integration with staple crops , training materials that include practical examples, case studies and group exercises.
2. Field trip report with recommendations .
3. PowerPoint presentations .
Anticipated US and In-Country Schedule for Assignment : Day
Activity
Location
Estimated days
Pre-departure
• Review : Volunteer Manual, Country Guide, Host Profile, Environmental Materials
• R eview : A vailable agricultural information including the horticultural sector . I dentify any country information needed to tailor the materials to the local context.
USA
1
Day 1
• Develop effective workshop materials and finalize details of the assignment. The volunteer is encouraged to incorporate case studies and practical examples in the materials.
USA
1
Day 2
• Depart USA
USA-Tanzania
1
Day 3
• Arrive in Tanzania
Tanzania
1
Day 4
• Debriefing meeting with F2F A2F team
• Fly from Dar es Salaam to Mbeya then drive to Songea .
Dsm and Songea
1
Day 5
• Meet with the host for introduction and start of the assignment.
• Spend time with the NGO to understand their operations .
Songea ,
1
Day 6 – 8
• Visit the farms a nd meet the farmers. Work with agronomists and selected farmers to mentor and support them in integrating horticultural crops.
• Provide guidance on horticultural crops production and agri-business opportunities in rural agriculture domain.
Songea , Njombe , Iringa.
3
Day 9
• Rest
Songea
1
Day 10-11
• Conduct a hands-on training both indoor and outdoor to the host organization’s agronomists on best horticulture practices and ways to integrate farmers’ long-term staple food crops with short-term horticulture crops efficiently and sustainably. The workshop should incorporate case studies and global best practices and s tandards . The outdoor training should involve a farm demonstration.
Songea
2
Day 12
• Drive from Songea to Mbeya then fly to Dsm .
• Preparation of the report
Songea to Dsm
1
Day 1 3
• Submit the report. eO7G5Hm DmwvKC
• Debriefing with F2F A2F team and USAID
Dar es Salaam
1
Day 1 4
• Depart to US
Tanzania
1
Day 1 5
• Arrive in US
USA
1
Total
1 6 days ( 14 days in country)
F2F Programmatic Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safer Use Action Plan (PERSUAP) Requirements:
These assignments do not involve recommending or providing advice on specific pesticide active ingredients or products. These volunteers will likely be in the field and when the opportunity arises, the volunteer shall encourage good practices in pesticide use and IPM and discourage poor practices.

Volunteer Outreach:
USAID and IESC encourage all F2F A2F volunteers to participate in public outreach. An important objective of the program is to increase awareness of Americans’ good work in developing countries. Volunteers should select at least one outreach activity from the list below, to be completed within one month of return to the US:
• Write an entry for the IESC website.
• Post a photo, video, or text related to the F2F A2F assignment on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, personal website or other social media site, and send a link to IESC staff.
• Send a press release to a local newspaper in the volunteer’s hometown. (IESC can provide a template)
• Write something for an alumni or professional association newsletter, or other publication. (IESC can help as needed).
• Give a presentation about the F2F A2F assignment to colleagues, students, religious group, rotary club, etc.
• Send an email about F2F A2F to friends, family, or colleagues.

Requested Expertise of Volunteer Expert:
• Minimum of Master of Science Degree in Horticulture/Irrigation Agronomy/Rural Development and Agricultural Extension/ Agribusiness and Value Chain Management/Agricultural Sciences or related fields.
• A minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in horticulture crops value chains
• S trong skills and experience in horticulture husbandry, irrigation horticulture and/or agronomy.
• Extensive experience in identifying, forming, and supporting different models of agri-business.
• Experience working in Tanzania and/or the region is a plus.
• Strong leadership and communication skills and capacity to plan strategically and flexibly.
• Desire to improve the lives of smallholder farmers.
• Sufficiently physically fit, with appropriate medical clearance.
• Writing Skills: reporting requires good computer skills including working and generating reports with MS Word. Experience with PowerPoint presentations is desirable.
• Good writing and analytical skills, interpersonal communication, and presentation skills (adult education skills)

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 108

Level of Education: Postgraduate Degree

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