Food and Nutrition Security Expert

Food and Nutrition Security Expert, Agriculture Development Strategy-Consultant

Background:

The Government of Nepal’s Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS) is a comprehensive twenty-year vision (2015-2035) aimed at the overall development of the agriculture sector including the strategic framework to guide achieving food and nutrition security outcomes. A provision exists within the ADS for periodic review and revision to assess its overall performance considering evolving issues and needs. In this context, USAID Integrated Nutrition, led by Helen Keller Intl Nepal, is providing technical support to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD) in reviewing the implementation status and updating the ADS’s food and nutrition security component.

Objective:

This consultancy support aims to analyze the various emerging dimensions of food systems and identify key aspects to mainstream within the ADS. The goal is to improve the demand and supply of healthy, safe, and nutritious diets, ensuring food and nutritional security for marginalized communities. Transforming food systems to be more resilient, sustainable, and affordable is an urgent priority, as disparities in access to nutritious food persist among marginalized groups. These disparities are exacerbated by the high costs of maintaining a diverse and healthy diet. Additionally, the rising incidence of overnutrition poses increasing threats to public health management.

Scope of Work:

Under the overall supervision of the Team Leader for review and revision of ADS, and in coordination with the Helen Keller Intl focal person, the Food and Nutrition

Security Expert will perform (but not limited to) the following tasks:

i. Review the progress since the implementation of ADS against the set targets in the ADS result framework on Food and Nutrition Security by analyzing the factors at different fronts (achievements as well as in the case of any shortfalls).
ii. Identify the recent and emerging trends/changes in the agri-food system (including climate change, youth outmigration, land use/abandonment, etc.) and analyze their effect on promoting nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food system transformation (food supply chain and food environment) linking with ADS.
iii. Assess changed context such as implications of federalism on implementing food and nutrition security (including food sovereignty) programs contributing to ADS implementation.
iv. Assess challenges and opportunities of food and nutrition security in terms of sub-national perspectives by examining the level of coordination, collaboration, and partnership among sectors, ministries, three tiers of governments, and agencies in ADS implementation
v. Assess impacts of changed international context and crises such as food insecurity; fuel, food, feed, and fertilizer prices; climate change, forestry, water resources, irrigation, commerce, and trade for the implementation of nutrition-sensitive agricultural promotion at the national level.
vi. Review sectoral and sub-sectoral policies and strategies including Food systems, Multisectoral Nutrition Plan-III, Nutrition-sensitive agriculture, food safety, commercially produced complementary food (CPCF) standards, and other related policies/plans/strategies that have implications for FNS.
vii. Based on the above review and assessment, identify the areas to be revised and adjusted on the FNS theme in ADS and prepare the cost needed for each revised and adjusted/added area/program on FNS.
viii. Support the Team Leader in preparing the revised ADS document
ix. Assess the data needed on FNS and value addition of agricultural commodities and prepare tools for collection (if needed) in collaboration with Team Leader, Agriculture & Livestock Expert, and Data Analyst.
x. Carry out any other tasks related to FNS and value addition in development in the process of revising the ADS document.

Deliverables:

The Food and Nutrition Security Expert will deliver the following deliverables:

1. Inception report outlining the work plan and methodology
2. Conduct desk review policies, plans, strategies, frameworks, progress reports etc
3. Coordinate, plan, and conduct stakeholder meetings at different levels-federal, province
4. Draft report, final report of review and revision of ADS
5. Roadmap for implementing recommendations to strengthen nutrition-sensitive agriculture programming and food systems, ensuring food security and nutrition

Qualifications:

The Food and Nutrition Security Expert should have the following qualifications:

1. Master’s degree in food policy, food science and technology, agriculture science, natural resources management, and related field.
2. At least 10 years of work experience in food and nutrition security, multi-sectoral nutrition plan, food processing, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture.
3. Should have a proven track record of food and nutrition research and development including extension and have demonstrated technical leadership capacity and skills at the national level.
4. Strong analytical and English writing skills.
5. Experience in conducting status assessments and gap analyses.
6. Experience in developing recommendations and roadmaps.
7. Fluency in English and the local language.

Timeline:

The consultancy is expected to cover 90 working days within 6 months.