Background

Paraguay’s agriculture and livestock production play a vital role in the country’s economy and contribute to GDP through exports, employing a significant portion of the national workforce. The agricultural sector consists of two distinct models: smallholders, who account for more than 90% of farmers but have limited access to resources, and medium- to large-scale producers engaged in commercial agriculture focusing on commodities and beef production. Smallholders face challenges such as income gaps, lack of technical assistance, modern technology, and finance, making them more vulnerable to external shocks that can adversely impact productivity. Aside challenges related to income disparities and competition for resources for family farmers, Paraguay’s agriculture and livestock production face challenges related to environmental and natural resource sustainability.

Despite government efforts to address deforestation and promote sustainable practices, significant forest loss has occurred over the past two decades, mainly driven by agricultural expansion. Despite Paraguay’s rich biodiversity and natural resources being suitable for agricultural activities, the unsustainable use of natural capital increases the vulnerability of agricultural production systems to climate change and weather variability. Thus, the sustainability of the sector depends on efficient production methods to minimize environmental impacts.

The most recent Government’s National Development Plan for Disaster Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Agricultural Sector of Paraguay focuses on disaster risk management and climate change adaptation in the agricultural sector, with a specific emphasis on smallholders. The plan aims to develop strategies for risk reduction and mitigation, including innovative agriculture risk financing mechanisms. In this context, there is a growing need to adopt innovative and climate-smart technologies (CST) as a crucial aspect of promoting sustainable and resilient agricultural practices to preserve food security.

Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) mechanisms could support highly vulnerable and lower-income farmers in increasing agricultural productivity and climate resilience. However, the upfront investment costs and technical assistance can often be binding constraints to adopting these CSA technologies for farmers, especially smallholders with limited access to financial intermediation. CSA technology adoption is also constrained by institutional, behavioral (i.e., conflict with traditional methods of production), organizational, market factors and social norms.

Several approaches have been pursued in other Latin American countries to facilitate the financing of CSA. One prominent strategy is the establishment of dedicated funds and financial instruments tailored to the specific needs of agricultural stakeholders. These funds can provide grants, concessional loans, or guarantees to reduce the financial risks associated with investing in new technologies. Additionally, public-private partnerships are being formed to attract private sector investment and expertise, ensuring a sustainable flow of funding for CSA initiatives. CSA encourages innovation in the agricultural sector. It supports the development and scaling up of new technologies that have the potential to mitigate climate change impacts and contribute to sustainable food production. By providing financial support to research institutions, startups, and entrepreneurs, new and improved CSA techniques can be developed, tested, and made accessible to farmers.

Scope of work

The development objective is to support the Government of Paraguay in identifying and analyzing agriculture public policy options for accelerating the adoption of CSA and risk management practices/technologies by family farmers. The consultant will assess barriers and enablers to implementation of such technologies and provide recommendations and a roadmap for actions and incentives required to ensure a successful and timely implementation of climate smart technologies in the agriculture sector in Paraguay.

Required qualifications of the consultant / survey team leader

• Master’s degree in Economics, Agricultural Economics, Statistics, Public Policy or a closely related field.
• 3 years of post-Master’s experience in relevant work.
• Demonstrated experience in effective interaction and coordination with collaborators and project partners.
• Demonstrated strong writing skills.
• Ability to perform quantitative data analysis.
• Excellent drafting skills and analytical mind.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct research.
• Demonstrated ability to perform in-depth statistical analysis and report the results.
• Experienced in conducting literature reviews of academic publications, research reports, etc.
• Demonstrated fluency in written and spoken English
• Excellent interpersonal skills and to work in a team-oriented multi-cultural environment
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task as needed, consistently meet deadlines and manage time well
• Demonstrated professional level of attention to detail and accuracy of work.
• Ability to work independently, with initiative and minimal supervision.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong background in agrifood trade policy
• Proficiency in Spanish

Application Deadline: May 23, 2024