WeForest Zambia

WeForest is a fast-growing international non-profit organisation headquartered in Belgium and with current projects in Brazil, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, Senegal and Zambia. It is registered in Zambia and has its country office in Ndola, Copperbelt Province. The mission of the organisation is to advance innovative, scalable and lasting solutions to restore forest and landscapes for climate, people and the planet. We promote scientific evidence for the ways in which forests contribute to climate change mitigation, beyond their impacts as stocks of carbon, by increasing water availability, enhancing local biodiversity conservation and rural livelihood and resilience.

WeForest has been active around agroforestry, farm forestry and sustainable reforestation in Zambia since 2011. WeForest Zambia Ltd. was established in 2019 with six projects currently running: two in the Copperbelt and three in Muchinga province.

Job Summary

The Agroforestry Specialist will be responsible for implementing sustainable dairy forage and fodder production under the Copperbelt Project covering Mpongwe, Luanshya and Ndola districts. Additionally, he/she will provide technical oversight and support to climate-smart agriculture activities across other WeForest Zambia projects. He/she will i) develop and promote the adoption of sustainable dairy forage and fodder production best-practices among smallholder farmers, ii)  support the establishment and long-term sustainability of agroforestry nurseries by Community-Based Organisations, iii) make agroforestry trees and fodder production a viable business and reliable source of income for farmers, contributing to a more food-secure future. The Agroforestry Specialist will work closely with WFZ staff and external partners across all project areas.

The Agroforestry Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the Copperbelt Project Manager in close coordination with the Country Director. He/she will be based in Mpongwe district.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical Lead for the Agroforestry Component of the Dairy Fodder and Forage Copperbelt Project

• Support the development and implementation of the project stakeholder plan.
• Lead the recruitment and selection of primary project participants in Mpongwe, Luanshya and Ndola districts of the Copperbelt province.
• Lead the participatory development of sustainable forage and fodder production systems taking into account international best practice (e.g. low emissions technologies)
• Lead the training of smallholder dairy farmers and commercial fodder producers in sustainable forage and fodder production practices including but not limited to conservation farming, agroforestry, and silvopasture management.
• Provide technical support for the establishment and management of forage and fodder production demo plots/Farmer Field Schools, and agroforestry nurseries.
• Conduct feed supply value chain analysis and create sustainable market linkages creation between farmers and commercial producers.
• Co-develop with community-based organisations (CBOs) business models tailored towards the smallholder farmers’ and fodder production needs.
• Participate in social and behavioural change programmes, including the development and implementation of behavioural change-based campaigns and radio programmes.

Wider support across WeForest Zambia project portfolio

• Provide technical support for the implementation of climate-smart agriculture (conservation agriculture and agroforestry) and the establishment of agroforestry nurseries across WeForest projects.
• Work with the monitoring, evaluation and learning team to monitor and assess changes that result from the implementation of the agroforestry activities.
• Prepare weekly, quarterly, and annual technical reports for agroforestry activities.

Candidate Profile

Essential

• A Masters Degree in Agroforestry, Agriculture, Agronomy, Agribusiness or equivalent with a heavy emphasis on dairy fodder and forage production
• Fluent in English (both speaking and writing), Bemba
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in sustainable forage and fodder production with a focus on conservation farming, agroforestry, and silvopasture management
• Practical experience in designing agroforestry systems
• Knowledge of agriculture/agroforestry value chains
• Knowledge of low GHG emission (methane) technologies/best practices in feed production and current trends and practices in conservation, land management and natural resource preservation
• Technical knowledge and experience in agriculture training and/or soil work.
• Excellent management, coordination, training, reporting and communication skills
• Flexible in terms of travelling and living conditions
• Basic Kobo, excel, and GIS skills will be an added advantage

Preferable

Fluency in Lamba and Bemba

Terms & Conditions

Position: Full-time employee, 5 or 6 days per week.

Base: WeForest Office, Mpongwe District, Zambia

Start date: As soon as possible, preferably by 02/09/2024

Package: Competitive package for a small organisation