Agribusiness Officer (Market Linkages and Value Chain)

FAO

Organizational Setting

The FAO Investment Centre (CFI) provides investment and finance solutions that lead to more efficient, sustainable, inclusive and resilient agrifood systems. Working in over 120 countries, CFI provides a full suite of investment and finance support to FAO Members. It partners with governments, international and national financing institutions, the private sector and farmers, research institutions and academia to improve the quality and quantity of agrifood investment. The Centre's four main areas of work include support to strategic investment planning and policy, public investment, private investment and innovative finance. These are complemented by the knowledge for investment and capacity development for investment programmes that serve to share knowledge, learn and build capacities at country level.

The position is part of the Near East, North Africa, Europe and Central Asia Service (CFIC) of the FAO Investment Centre is located in the FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (RNE) in Cairo, Egypt.

Reporting Lines

The Agribusiness Officer (Market Linkages and Value Chain) reports to the Chief, Near East, North Africa, Europe and Central Asia Service (CFIC) and works in collaboration with the Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (RNE).

Technical Focus

Provide analytical and technical support on agribusiness and value chains development, including functioning of agrifood markets, linking smallholders to market, productive alliances, agrifood logistics and agribusiness financing, in close collaboration with the relevant private sector stakeholders, for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of investment policies, strategies, programmes and projects in food and agriculture, rural development, natural resources management and agro-processing.

Key Results

Delivering investment and finance support solutions through the provision of technical expertise/assistance and support to capacity development, in collaboration with country stakeholders and cooperating partners, to achieve impact at scale in the transformation of agrifood systems in the scope of the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions

• Participates in, and eventually leads, multidisciplinary teams to assist governments in the identification and preparation of investment and finance support initiatives in the fields of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing, and participates in pre-appraisal and appraisal missions.
• Participates in, and eventually leads, multidisciplinary teams for the implementation, support and the preparation of final evaluation of investment and finance support solutions.
• Provides technical expertise for the preparation of food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing studies and strategies, in the formulation of national sector and/or sub-sector investment plans and programmes.
• Supports the development of inclusive and sustainable food systems involving producers, their organizations, other private sector actors, and civil society organizations and government.
• Formulates and delivers capacity development strategies and activities in the areas of food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment support to government staff, non-state actors and private sector organizations.
• Prepares documents in accordance with FAO, governments and financing partners' requirements.
• Provides support in task organization, selection of consultants, preparation of terms of reference and in ensuring the quality of outputs.
• Promotes international cooperation and collaboration leading to new investment opportunities and cooperative agreements, advocates best practices and effective policy dialogue and provides technical expertise at international meetings.
• Establishes, promotes and maintains relationships with relevant Strategic Programmes, FAO technical units and Decentralized Offices in order to ensure the best synergies between investment, policy and innovation work in support to Members. Participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.
• Provides guidance and advice to junior staff.

Specific Functions

• Contributes to the analysis of selected agrifood value chains, with high interaction with relevant public, private and civil society stakeholders, including producer organizations.
• Assesses constraints and opportunities for investments along selected value chains, in relation to private sector engagement, markets and market institutions, existence and performance of support services, trade policies, risk management systems, agrifood logistics, food safety standards adoption and control systems, among others.
• Identifies and analyses agricultural investment-related policy issues and provides agribusiness related solutions.