TEEB Mexico Project Development Consultant

Result of Service1. Stakeholder awareness of TEEBAgriFood and the potential impacts of using the TEEBAgriFood lens to guide food system planning, policy, and investment 2. Identification of potential public and private sector entry points for mainstreaming sustainability in cacao value chains 3. A project proposal for TEEBAgriFood for Cacao in Mexico 4. Identification of potential funders for TEEBAgriFood for Cacao in Mexico Work LocationHome Based Expected duration3 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesOrganizational Setting: The United Nations Environment Programme is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. UNEP Ecosystems Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and capacity development for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. The consultant will work for the Economics of Nature (TEN) Unit in the Ecosystems Division to develop a project proposal for implementation of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Agriculture and Food (TEEBAgriFood), which aims to apply True Cost Accounting principles to measure and value ecosystem services, natural capital, human capital, and social capital in order to make the economic case for sustainable agriculture investments and policies. 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. The landmark 2017 TEEB for Agriculture and Food (TEEBAgriFood) study demonstrated that the economic incentive environment in which agricultural producers operate and a lack of understanding of the dependence of food production on well-functioning ecosystems results in negative and positive social and environmental externalities that threaten the sustainability of food production and farmer incomes. The TEEBAgriFood initiative seeks to demonstrate that the entire agricultural value chain (production, processing, distribution, consumption and waste) not only has an impact on the environment but also on socio-economic well-being, particularly of small producers, and on public health and food security. The TEEBAgriFood Framework has been designed to guide the evaluation of food systems and their complex linkages to the environment, society and human health. To create real change, this scientific framework of analysis needs to be applied at the ground level and influence current policies and practice. The TEEBAgriFood Framework has been implemented in more than 10 countries, including Mexico, Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, and Thailand. In Mexico, following the completion of TEEBAgriFood assessments of the maize sector and coffee sector, the Secretariat for Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) has asked to collaborate with UNEP in the evaluation of cacao production and cacao value chains, in alignment with Mexico’s ambitions to develop sustainable rural livelihoods, reduce deforestation and GHG emissions, restore water quality, and ensure stable agricultural trade relationships. Certification and traceability of deforestation-free tropical commodities is also crucial to ensure continued access to European markets of Mexican products since the recent adoption of the law on deforestation free-products (EUDR). A consultant is required to engage and consult stakeholders about threats and opportunities in cacao value chains and draft a proposal for a project to fill information gaps to inform public and private sector decision-making to strengthen the cacao sector in Mexico. Duties and Responsibilities: A proposal for TEEBAgriFood for Cacao in Mexico The UNEP consultant will lead the development of a funding proposal for a project to evaluate cacao production and cacao value chains in Mexico, following the TEEBAgriFood framework. The consultant will consult stakeholders related to agriculture and the environment in Mexico, review the social-economic, environmental, and political context for tropical agroforestry crop production, articulate a problem statement for the cacao sector, and propose a logical framework for guiding positive social, economic and environmental outcomes. The consultant’s duties and responsibilities will include: 1. Consult national partners (government, civil society, research and private sector) on the threats and opportunities for cacao production and marketing 2. Review the economic and policy context that drives decisions in the cacao sector 3. Identify the risks and opportunities posed by the EU Deforestation Free Rule on cacao production 4. 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.) 5. 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 6. Survey potential donors or financing mechanisms for a TEEBAgriFood project 7. 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 8. Propose project activities, work packages, outputs, and outcomes, as well as an associated timeline and budget for the project Qualifications/special skillsAn 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. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position fluency in oral and written Spanish and English is required. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.