Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safer Use Action Plan (PERSUAP) Specialist - ARE

Project Name:                  Lebanon Agricultural Rural Empowerment Activity

Consultancy Title:            Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safer Use Action Plan (PERSUAP) Specialist

Reporting to:                    DCOP and COP

Ceiling LOE:                      up to 20 days 

Period of performance: 2 months, December 15, 2020 until February 15, 2021

Project Background

The Agriculture and Rural Empowerment (ARE) Activity is a multi-year activity funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in Lebanon (USAID/Lebanon) to develop rural economies in Lebanon through support to the agro-food sector and other industries. ARE seeks to unlock local and export sales potential while also creating jobs and increasing farmers’ and workers’ incomes. The Lebanese economy and agro-food sector face unique challenges during the current crisis period. Given the critical need for Lebanese medium-, small-, and micro-enterprises (MSMEs) and farmers to generate export earnings in light of the currency crisis, ARE places a particular emphasis the use of both buyer-led and market systems development (MSD) lenses to shape the overall technical approach to implementation. It is expected that under various ARE interventions, technical assistance for the procurement or use or both, of pesticides will be provided and therefore PERSUAP shall be prepared as required by 22 CFR 216.3(b)(l).

The most recent Pesticide Evaluation Report Safer Use Action Plan (PERSUAP) was updated and approved in 2019 for the Lebanon Investment in Quality (LINQ) project, implemented by Land O’ Lakes Venture 37, which in turn was based on the prior PERSUAP development for the Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development (LIVCD) project, implemented by DAI. Each of the aforementioned PERSUAPs were developed for the exclusive use by each respective project and are therefore not applicable to other USAID-funded agricultural development activities.

Summary of Position

USAID completed an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) for the proposed ARE Activity in September 2019. The IEE identified the need for a PERSUAP related to activities that aim to increase the productivity of the agro-food sector involving training on the safe and sound use of pesticides as well as the potential for procurement of services such as spraying and other agricultural and non-agricultural practices that may have a potential for hazardous environmental impact. The IEE made a Negative Determination with Conditions and recommended the development of a PERSUAP. These activities may have a significant effect on the environment. The ARE Contractor will conduct a PERSUAP as per 22 CFR 216.3 (a)(2)(iii), which must be approved by the BEO/ME prior to implementation.

The main objective of the assignment is to review past and current PERSUAP documentation produced for other USAID/Lebanon agricultural development activities and develop the ARE-exclusive PERSUAP that shall serve as ARE’s Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safer Use Action Plan and therefore guide all activities that may entail use of, or training in the use of, pesticides. 

The proposed analysis will cover those pesticides proposed for use by USAID activities that are:

• Registered by US EPA for the same or similar uses without restrictions;
• Also registered by the Government of Lebanon; and
• Available in Lebanon.

The PERSUAP will cover only interventions implemented by the ARE Activity, covering sectors of pesticide use in/on:

• Agriculture (Seed, Field, Orchard and Greenhouse)
• Food Security (Food Treatment and Warehouse Fumigation)
• Veterinary/Feed Additives
• Livestock (Meat and Leather & wool processing)
• Dairy
• Aquaculture
• Water and Sanitation
• Avian Influenza/Disinfectants
• Health/Malaria
• Locust Control
• Construction
• Rights of Way Treatments

Under this SOW, assistance for the procurement or use of pesticides is defined broadly and includes recommending the conduct of training programs in pesticide handling and use. The PERSUAP shall include appendices evaluating the economic, social, and environmental risks and benefits of the planned pesticide use by crop commodity, as indicated by ARE as eligible for support, to determine whether the use may result in significant environmental impact. If a pesticide rejected by the PERSUAP is still desired or deemed necessary for use on project activities, an Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with §216.3(b)(l) requirements, in addition to the PERSUAP, will be conducted (separate from this SOW). This EA will include, but not be limited to, an analysis of the factors identified in §216.3(b)(l)(i) and be subject to an amendment to this PERSUAP contract.

The PERSUAP Specialist will liaise directly with ARE’s environmental compliance specialist, key stakeholders, USAID, and other project staff, to draft the PERSUAP and Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safer Use Action Plan for reducing pesticide risks.

Respective Tasks and Responsibilities of USAID and the ARE Team

The ARE Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and USAID/Lebanon Mission Environmental Officer (MEO) will take an active role in this PERSUAP process by approving both the technical activity and definition of pesticide “use” to be applied, and this SOW as well as the analysis and all draft PERSUAP reports produced. The MEO will provide specific technical guidance and direction, review progress and other draft materials produced by the Specialist, and perform liaison functions, as needed, with the Middle East Bureau Environmental Officer (BEO), Bureau for Food Security (BFS) BEO, and ARE. ARE will assign a contact person or persons to work with the Specialist. ARE will assist the Specialist in developing the ARE PERSUAP by providing information about uses and conditions of use for all pesticides, types of activity implementation, roles and responsibilities of implementing partners, farmers, laborers, extension officers, and local service providers to ensure all relevant pesticides are covered and to help the PI/PMS design training for at-risk populations in the field.

Specific Tasks for PERSUAP Specialist

Under this SOW, the specialist shall develop the ARE-specific PERSUAP. The PERSUAP specialist shall evaluate, or update previous iterations of PERSUAPs developed for other USAID/Lebanon Activities such that the specific needs of ARE are adequately addressed including evaluation of the economic, social, and environmental risks and benefits of the planned pesticide use to determine whether the use may result in significant environmental impact as relates to the ARE Activity.

Factors to be considered in such an evaluation shall include, but not be limited to following factors listed under 22 CFR 216.3(b)(1)(i):

(a) The USEPA registration status of the requested pesticide;

(b) The basis for selection of the requested pesticide;

(c) The extent to which the proposed pesticide use is part of an integrated pest management program;

(d) The proposed method or methods of application, including availability of appropriate application and safety equipment;

(e) Any acute and long-term toxicological hazards, either human or environmental, associated with the proposed use and measures available to minimize such hazards;

(f) The effectiveness of the requested pesticide for the proposed use;

(g) Compatibility of the proposed pesticide with target and non-target ecosystems;

(h) The conditions under which the pesticide is to be used, including climate, flora, fauna, geography, hydrology, and soils;

(i) The availability and effectiveness of other pesticides or nonchemical control methods;

(j) The requesting country's ability to regulate or control the distribution, storage, use and disposal of the requested pesticide;

(k) The provisions made for training of users and applicators; and

(l) The provisions made for monitoring the use and effectiveness of the pesticide.

The ARE PERSUAP will focus on those crops that ARE will focus on as well as include new crops (including, but not limited to, berries – strawberries, rasberries, and blackberries), livestock (goats, sheep, cows),  pests, diseases, weeds, pesticides, new EPA, EU and any international pesticide regulations and registrations, as well as new EU market requirements for pesticide residues on food. The full and complete list shall be determined through discussions with ARE staff, USAID, and the PERSUAP specialist.

To update the programmatic PERSUAP, the Specialist will:

• Perform a desk-based review of ARE Activity, related work planning materials, the ARE IEE, and relevant sector prioritzation reports. Desk review should also review existing PERSUAPs for other USAID Activities under implementation (LINQ) as well as those recently completed (LIVCD).
• Review and update EPA registration status of all PERSUAP recommended pesticides by crop/ livestock/commodity. This includes pesticides within the current PERSUAP and any ARE- or USAID-proposed pesticides.
• Review Lebanon’s most current list of registered pesticides as well as the list of potential pesticides to be used during implementation by crop/commodity.
• Work with the ARE team, COP, and the COR to review expectations, background documentation, including Activity’s Year 1 work plan, scope of work, and deliverables.
• Work closely with the USAID/Lebanon MEO and BEO during the development of the PERSUAP.
• Work with the ARE environmental compliance specialist and/or technical staff in the preparation of the PERSUAP.
• List local restrictions on use of pesticides, and conditions required following an analysis of EPA registration of the same pesticides;
• Acquire from ARE information on the extent to which pesticide use is and could be part of an integrated pest management (IPM) program;
• Recommend mitigation measures for project activities (in addition to training), identified in concert with project personnel, which involve pesticide use. Mitigation measures should be described following USAID’s ERAC/EMMP table format.
• Develop a pesticide database in Excel that includes registration by USEPA, EU and GOL, active ingredients, commercial names, major sources of origin, toxicity levels by organization
• Provide an annex with preliminary Pest Management Plans (PMPs) for each crop-pest combination, including extensive preventive tools/tactics that can be used, as well as recommended curative pesticides.
• Provide a full list of acronyms used throughout the document.
• Provide information on GOL’s obligations related to pesticides under the Stockholm Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Rotterdam Prior Informed Consent (PIC) conventions.
• Draft Programmatic IEE amendment to reflect the PERSUAP’s recommendations.
• Respond to feedback from USAID MEO, BEO, and/or others at USAID, on substantive technical material involving crop-pest-IPM-pesticide issues; all non-substantive issues will be addressed by Chemonics staff.

Deliverables and Timeline

1- Final ARE PERSUAP document, incorporating comments from USAID and Chemonics February 15, 2020

2- Other deliverables as assigned by the Chief of Party or Deputy Chief of Party  - TBD

Place of Assignment

The consultant can work remotely, however is welcome to work from ARE’s program office space in Beirut and will be expected to travel to areas of operation throughout the country as needed.

Reporting

The PERSUAP specialist will report to Deputy Chief of Party / Chief Technical Officer, Sami Khairallah, or his designee, and to Chief of Party Brian King, or his designee.

Qualifications

• Bachelor or Master’s degree in one or several of the following areas: Agricultural Engineering, Environmental management or other degree relevant to the above SOW
• At least  10 years of relevant experience, especially on pesticides use and management
• Experience in agricultural donor-funded projects
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Arabic required

Application Submissions Guideline

Applicants must submit the below deliverables to [email protected] to be eligible for screening:

• Resume
• Similar previously achieved work / reports
• Three reference
• Daily rate