The consultant will report to Mr. Salman Hussain, TEEB Coordinator and Head of the Economics of Nature Unit (TEN) in the Ecosystems Division. TEEBAgriFood Ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources are the basis of agriculture. The agricultural sector provides important benefits such as food for humans and animals, fiber for industrial and artisanal production, materials for fuel, employment, and cultural cohesion. However, it is the main driver of the degradation of ecosystems, the loss of biodiversity, health externalities and greenhouse gas emissions, among others. Many of these impacts, both positive and negative, are economically invisible and do not figure in public and private decision-making. The UNEP Economics of Nature Unit (TEN) within the Ecosystems Division hosts TEEB – The Economics of Nature and Biodiversity - an initiative which aims to demonstrate and capture the value of nature in public policy and private sector decision making.
Responsibilities:
Consult national partners (government, civil society, research and private sector) on the threats and opportunities for cacao production and marketing.
Review the economic and policy context that drives decisions in the cacao sector.
dentify the risks and opportunities posed by the EU Deforestation Free Rule on cacao production.
Review the associated baseline study on cacao production systems and value chains, cacao agroecology and ecosystem services. (To be completed through a separate UNEP consultancy.).
Determine demand for and gaps in scientific evidence and economic arguments for sustainable cacao value chains to determine how a TEEBAgriFood assessment could drive transformation of the sector.
Survey potential donors or financing mechanisms for a TEEBAgriFood project.
Draft a problem statement and associated theory of change for resolution, including a logical framework for mainstreaming TEEBAgriFood principles in Mexico food system planning, investments, and policy.
Propose project activities, work packages, outputs, and outcomes, as well as an associated timeline and budget for the project.
Requirements:
An advanced university degree in Environmental Science, Social Science, Agricultural science or Public Administration, Economics or Environmental Economics, or a related field is required.
A first university degree with a combination of two (2) years professional and academic qualifications may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.
A minimum of five (5) years of professional working experience in project development or implementation in the field of environment or food systems is required.
Experience in stakeholder engagement at federal, state and/or municipal level is required.
An understanding of Mexican environment, forestry, and agriculture issues, as well as the Mexican agricultural policy, fiscal, and institutional framework is desirable An understanding of ecosystem services in the context of food systems would be an added advantage.
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position fluency in oral and written Spanish and English is required.
