DESCRIPTION: 

With support of L’Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Bolstering Agriculture Systems’ Ability to Invest, Nourish, and Employ (BASATINE) programme is a 4-year Consortium of six local and International NGOs with vast experience in agriculture and market systems development. These NGOs include CARE (as lead), Mercy Corps (MC), Berytech Foundation, Georges N. Frem Foundation (GNFF), Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST) and Al Majmoua. BASATINE aims to support farmers and other value chain and associated sector actors in areas of Beqaa and Akkar focused on the production of cereals, legumes and vegetables, seeking a territorial approach, and promoting linkages with other value chains. Through complementary interventions designed in alignment with the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, the project will immediately address food insecurity and provide needed income and technical support to farmers to survive the current economic crisis as well as improve the capacity of food systems to maintain employment and growth in the longer term via stronger domestic production and system linkages. This will ultimately contribute to greater economic stability – particularly for women, improved rural development, and more positive social cohesion between host/refugee communities at a local level.

OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF BASATINE

To help sustain the capacity of the Lebanese agriculture to produce food for the local market and create and maintain jobs, to contribute to the prevention of tensions between host communities and refugees

Specific Objectives:

Value chain actors recover their livelihoods affected by the socio-economic and financial crisis

Farmers improve their access to livelihoods, through Sustainable, Productive, Equitable and Resilient (SuPER) Food Systems

Agriculture sector actors engage in improved market activities, resources, and trade relationships

Agriculture and related sector actors increase investments through tailored and inclusive financial services and products

Agriculture sector stakeholders utilise high quality, reliable evidence to promote evidence-based sector development

Expected Results

BASATINE will support 6,000 farms, reaching 12,000 male and female adult farmers, 10,000 host and refugee seasonal farm workers, 400 public extension officers and vocational students, 20 input supply/distributor SMEs, 156 agri-food processor micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and over 30 agri-sector key stakeholders (including development actors, donors, local and national government). Overall, the project will maintain/improve over 19,000 jobs and create 700 jobs for male and female value chain actors. Overall, the project will generate the following results:

Farmers have an increased volume of farm sales by the end of the project

Female actors in the agri-sector have improved access, control, or ownership of agricultural productive resources, assets and services

Targeted farms and MSMEs (female/youth-led and owned) have maintained, improved, or increased employment levels including for females, youths and PWDs.

Objectives of this Consultancy

Land rental costs represent a significant part of farmers’ seasonal expenses and vary per season depending on the size of the plot size, its location, and available assets (greenhouse, irrigation scheme, trees, etc.). With the depreciation of the LBP and landowners’ subsequent plans to increase rentals rates expressed in local currency, this cost is becoming even more untenable. Improving land tenure and promoting longer-term agreements are therefore essential prerequisites for promoting equitable and resilient farming systems, in which access to resources is sustainably secured.  In the absence of any legal framework, farmers have no security on extension of leasing conditions, leading them to use aggressive short-term practices while owners favor speculative behaviors, resulting in recurrent tensions between farmers and landlords. Longer and more secure land tenure arrangements, with stable prices, will encourage farmers to invest in longer-term strategies on soil fertility and water management, while protecting the quality of owners’ assets. This will also in the long run, help to release tensions between farmers and landowners. Improving land tenure is also a key objective of the MoA Green Plan initiative to reclaim and rehabilitate agricultural land.

BASATINE plans to initiate consultations with farmers and landlords to highlight benefits for all parties on longer agreements, while raising awareness on the application of land tenure laws. The programme will also monitor land rental prices over the life of the project and compare price fluctuations with the type of agreements and crops. Besides, as part of a new pilot initiative planned by MoA, and in coordination with the Green Plan initiative, we will aim at developing new formal land lease agreements. Successes and failures will be reviewed with the MoA and will allow the initiative to be replicated on a larger scale.   

This Consultancy falls under BASATINE Strategic Objective 2 (SO2-Activity 2.1.3); The programme will address the longstanding issue of land tenure contracts with a pilot to develop new formal agreements on land rental and share learnings with the MoA. The project will also conduct mapping and rehabilitation of unused land, linking farmers with municipalities, religious institutions, and other landowners, supporting 194 small land users to access more land and increase production.

CARE International in Lebanon (CIL) is seeking a consultant to develop and implement an adapted rental agreement between the landowner and the farmer, achieving a win-win situation for both and taking into consideration geographical, socio-economic, gender equality and environmental factors.

The consultancy will be divided into Three major phases.

The 1st phase: The Consultant will first present a detailed description of methodology and/ or planning that will be presented to the BASATINE team. Once approved, the Consultant will then proceed to the 2nd Phase.

2nd phase to include secondary data gathering on existing land tenure laws and regulations as well as practices and agricultural land rental modalities and develop preliminary key impact indicators.

The 3rd phase will include primary data collection from field on existing land rental practices in the targeted areas, analyze the findings, and suggest a new adapted modality and final key impact indicators.

During phase 2, The consultant will:

Initiate consultation with different government stakeholders as well as with national and international agencies (FAO, CNRS, MoA, LARI, Green Plan, UN-Habitat, etc) to gather existing information, legal frameworks, and aspects on agricultural land rental agreements.

 At the end of this phase, a full report with a PowerPoint presentation will be presented highlighting the results and focusing on the gaps of existing land tenure laws and regulations.

At this phase the consultant is also expected to develop preliminary key impact indicators taking into consideration geographical, socio-economic, gender equality and environmental factors.

Those indicators will be continuously measured during the full life of the Project.

At the field level (Phase 3) the consultant will:

Initiate consultations with farmers and landowners to understand the different existing land rental modalities that are being practiced and to highlight the long-term impact on assets, land, crop quality...

The Key impact indicators should be fully developed and finalized.

At the end of this phase, the consultant will recommend different land rental modalities, taking into consideration the benefits for both farmers and landowners.

The Consultant will develop and present a final report and PowerPoint to Key stakeholders, including findings, recommendations including new developed contracts with both the landowners and the farmers and their benefits.

The consultant will coordinate closely with some relevant actors including the Food Security and Agriculture Sector and MoA with the support of CIL to develop a new formal land rental agreement taking into consideration the geographical, socio-economic, gender equality and environmental factors.

The developed land lease agreement will be piloted later during the whole project period, with farmers and landowners in the project locations; several plots will be established and monitored on semi-annual basis, against the developed key impact indicators.

Deliverables & Timeline

3 Days

Present a detailed description of methodology and/ or planning 

7 Days

- Desk review of existing land tenure laws and regulations as well as practices and agriculture land rental modalities:

-Full report, with PPt Presentation to be presented analyzing the existing gaps on land tenure laws and regulations, with proposed preliminary key impact indicators.

30 Days

Field data collection of existing land rental practices, in the targeted areas, and proposed new adapted land rental modality.

A report showing:

-Results from field consultation with farmers and landowners.

-Analyze the different existing land rental modalities.

-Develop a new formal land rental agreement.

-Final set of Key impact indicators to be measured.

-The Consultant will develop and present a final report and Power Point to Key stakeholders, including findings, recommendations including new developed contracts with both the landowners and the farmers and their benefits.

 Consultant Profile

At least 5 to 10 years of relevant experience, especially at NGOs, academic organizations, standard-setting bodies, public agencies focused on livelihood, agriculture assessments and agriculture legal frameworks.

Master’s degree in one or several of the following areas: agriculture, economics, business administration, international development, international law, or research-related field.

Experience working in Lebanon is a must, Experience in Baalkbeck-Hermel and Akkar is a plus.

Competencies

Extensive agriculture and land use management experience and a good background knowledge mainstreaming gender in agriculture.

Team player with strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong internal relationships and networks.

Motivated self-starter who enjoys working in a collaborative and international environment.

Fluency in spoken and written English and Arabic is required.

Extensive experience using Microsoft office apps especially PowerPoint and Word.

PSEA and Child Safeguarding

CARE International in Lebanon is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. CARE International in Lebanon and its employees and stakeholders abide by the CARE International Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) and Child Safeguarding Policies.

How to apply

Please submit your technical and financial proposal to undertake the above activities by sending an email to [email protected] . The Consultant should submit a detailed proposal with the following components:

a) technical proposal to include:

Maximum of six pages outlining the Consultants’ understanding of the TOR and the proposed methodology to conduct the assignment, including techniques and tools to be used.

Copy of the CV.

List of previous clients for similar jobs.

Copy of newly issued juridical record for nationals.

Copy of ID or passport

A signed copy of the “Integrity Statement" template provided in Annex 1 of this ToR

Please note that technical quality of the offer must take precedence over the price in the scoring).

b) Financial proposal detailing the following:

Itemized consultant’s fees and costs - consultant should indicate professional rate including all cost to be invoiced to CARE.

Provide proof of Ministry of Finance of Lebanon registration (Fiscal number).

In case the consultant cannot provide proof of MOF registration, 7.5% will be deducted from the proposed daily rate.

Please take into consideration that under consultancy agreement, CARE will not provide any employees perks and benefits. The proposed daily rate should be inclusive of all cost.

منتهية الصلاحية
آخر مدة للتقديم
الأحد, 23. أكتوبر 2022
نوع الدعوة
دعوة لتقديم الاستشارات
قطاع(ات) التدخل:
حقوق الإنسان والحماية
Remuneration range:
> 6000 (USD)
Duration of Contract:
3 Months
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