VECO Việt Nam tuyển chuyên gia tư vấn

VECO Việt Nam đang tìm kiếm các chuyên gia tư vấn để tiến hành một nghiên cứu về phát triển công cụ đánh giá, đo lường tác động của nông dân, hướng tới sản xuất nông nghiệp an toàn và phương pháp phát triển chuỗi giá trị tại Việt Nam. Hạn nộp hồ sơ: 12/11/2010


Terms of Reference
A Study to Develop the Assessment Tool for Measuring Impacts of Farmer’ Shift Towards Safe Agricultural Production Methods and Value Chain Development Vredeseilanden is a Belgian non-profit association aiming to reduce poverty and improve food
security by increasing the income of and empowering organized family farmers in developing countries. Outside Belgium Vredeseilanden operates in the name of VECO. Since 1994, the Vredeseilanden in Vietnam, or VECO Vietnam, has developed programs in the country focused on sustainable agriculture.

In 2008 VECO Vietnam launched its new three-year program on Sustainable Agricultural Chain Development (SACD) in the Northern part of Vietnam. Named “Family Farmers Access to Sustainable Agricultural Chains,” this program focuses on five commodity chains (Safe vegetables–Viet Tri; Safe vegetables-Lang Son; Dry tea; Fresh tea and Pig) and implemented in the provinces of Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang and Lang Son.

The Program consists of the following objectives:
1. Economic: By 2010 Sustainable agricultural chains have been realised at local and national levels, in which organized family farmers, male and female, benefit from fair trade and trade relations in order to improve their income, while maintaining food
security.
2. Political/Advocacy:By 2010 organized family farmers, male and female, have proactively advocated for the formulation of policies that are pro-farmer and pro-sustainable agricultural chain development at local, national and global level
3. Consumer: By 2010, consumers have increased the purchase of sustainable agriculture products
4. Institutional learning: By 2010 VECO Vietnam has learned from its experiences in chain development and contributed to the learning and concept development within Vredeseilanden

VECO Vietnam will soon carry-out the second phase of the “Family Farmers Access to Sustainable Agricultural Chains Program” in 2011-13.

Family Farmers are Shifting their Agricultural Practices
The three-year “Family Farmers Access to Sustainable Agricultural Chains Program” is ending its first phase in Dec 2010. In the 2-3 years of program implementation, notable changes in the practices of farmers have been observed in the following ways:
a. From chemical/input-intensive production to safe production techniques – with knowledge and skills in sustainable agriculture technologies, the family farmers involved in the VECO program for the past 3-5 years have adopted various practices that are environment and human-friendly. The adoption of innovations was fast in products having direct economic benefits. Particularly in the farmer organizations supported by VECO in Viet Tri City and Lang Son City, the members have been producing safe vegetables that are commanding better prices in the markets.

b. From production oriented agriculture to value chain development – building on gains from promoting sustainable agriculture among farmers, VECO has embarked on chain development starting in 2008 focusing on some select commodities. From primarily a production-oriented intervention, the farmer organizations (FOs) assisted by VECO are now addressing imperfections in the market chain in order to gain more terms and conditions in their favor. With the support of VECO, the FOs are now dealing with issues associated with production up to consumption.

Measuring Shifts and Changes in Agricultural Practices
Farmers in Vietnam have recognized the importance of safe production technologies and practices cognizant with the VietGAP. It is common to hear among government agencies the need to follow standards of quality and safety in agricultural production and products. This initiative is best exemplified in vegetables whereby “safe vegetable” production is promoted by several agencies. Backing this thrust for safe vegetable production are more that a dozen laws and regulations passed by the different branches of the government. However, the focus areas of these legislations are mainly on the technical aspects of production and post-harvest technologies. Tools for measuring impacts of shifts in practices by farmers from intensive, chemical-based production system towards safe production methods are absent.

Value chain development or VCD is a relatively new thinking or concept among FOs and family farmers. This observation applies to VECO partners from the government agencies, particularly the MARD and Economic Departments at the District and City levels. It is therefore not surprising to find no measuring devices to determine outcomes or impacts of chain development interventions.

VECO aspires to develop a tool for assessing impacts of farmer’s shift in agricultural practices and use this same tool for its FO partners.

To develop the tool for measuring impacts of farmer’s shift toward safe agricultural production methods and value chain development.

An assessment manual that measures the impacts of farmer’s shift to (a) safe agricultural production methods and (b) value chain development, with the following features:
• Satisfies the criteria for economic, social, and ecological sustainability
• Gender sensitive
• Contains well defined indicators for clarity of understanding among users of the manual
• The final version has benefited pre-testing with a small number (10-15) of farmers
• Simple enough to be used by field staff
• In both Vietnamese and English versions
• Compliant with VietGAP

1. Provide funds after approval of the proposal.
2. Provide pertinent information/documents on VECO’s interventions on Sustainable Agricultural Chain Development.
3. Review the semi-final draft of the tool before finalization.

Duration of Engagement: November-December 2010

The specific terms and conditions of engagement are spelled out in the standard format of VECO Memorandum of Agreement with project partners.

Please send proposal, including the CV of consultant, on or before November 12, 2010, to:
Regional Representative
VECO Coordinating Office
#12 Lane 535/2, Kim Ma Street Hanoi
or e-mail to: eduardo@veco.org.vn