Result of Service
1- Annotated outline based on discussion with ESCWA regarding structure and scope of the paper 2- First draft of analytical paper based on feedback received on annotated outline, including preliminary list of references 3- Final analytical paper based on feedback received on first draft, including footnotes and complete references
Duties and Responsibilities
Background Food systems are central to food security, livelihoods and natural resource sustainability cross the Arab region. They encompass the actors and activities involved in producing, processing, distributing and consuming food, and are shaped by their interactions with health, nutrition, livelihoods, natural resources and climate. The 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit underscored the need for integrated approaches to food systems transformation, recognizing these interlinkages and the importance of coherent action across sectors.
Food systems in the Arab region are exposed to multiple, interconnected pressures. Water scarcity, land degradation and climate change constrain productive capacity and increase exposure to drought, heat stress, floods and other climate-related shocks, with implications for food production and rural livelihoods. At the same time, high dependence on food imports in many countries increases the exposure of food availability and affordability to international market volatility, trade disruptions and supply-chain shocks.
Conflict, economic instability and other crises can compound these pressures, disrupting production, markets and infrastructure and exacerbating existing vulnerabilities across food systems. These pressures have important implications not only for food security and nutrition, but also for rural livelihoods, employment, and natural resource management. Understanding the structural characteristics and vulnerabilities of food systems across the region is therefore important for strengthening resilience, sustainability, and inclusivity.
Objective To prepare an analytical paper on food systems across Arab States that elaborates on current conditions and offers insights on potential future developments. The consultant will compile and analyze relevant data, identify regional examples, and prepare a paper in accordance with the agreed outline. Duties and Responsibilities Under the overall guidance of the Climate Change and Natural Resource Sustainability Cluster Lead and the direct supervision of the Chief of Environmental and Food Policies Team, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:
Provide a framing for food systems transformation in the Arab region, drawing on national processes and priorities, as well as regional and global approaches to food systems.
Review the present landscape characterizing food systems in Arab countries, providing examples of fruitful cooperation between multiple Arab countries.
Examine key drivers of food-system vulnerability and resilience in the region, including climate change, water scarcity, natural resource constraints, conflict, and economic and market shocks.
Assess the role of cross-national linkages in shaping food-system outcomes, including flows of food, agricultural inputs, finance, technology and knowledge, and identify opportunities for regional cooperation.
Offer insights and recommendations on priority areas for investment and cooperation to strengthen food security, nutrition, livelihoods, and the resilience and sustainability of food systems across the region.
Qualifications/special skills
A master's degree or higher in food security/food systems, economics, public policy, agriculture, climate change, sustainable development or a related field is required. A PhD is desirable. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. A minimum of 10 years of professional work experience in the field of food systems, with demonstrated experience working on regional development issues related to the Arab region is required. Demonstrated experience writing reports and papers for international organizations on energy is required. Demonstrated experience conducting quantitative analysis and interpretation is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable. Knowledge of French is desirable. Note: "Fluency" equals a rating of 'fluent' in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and "Knowledge of" equals a rating of 'confident' in two of the four areas.