Agricultural Specialist, Wonegizi REDD+ Project, Liberia

Founded in 1903, Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is the world’s longest-established international conservation organisation. Our vision is to create a sustainable future for the planet where biodiversity is conserved by the people living closest to it. We aim to do this through the conservation of threatened species and ecosystems worldwide, choosing solutions that are sustainable, based on sound science and take account of human needs. We have become a trusted entity in the world of conservation. FFI’s Global Headquarters are located in Cambridge, UK, and FFI is active in over 40 countries.

Working closely with local partners, FFI’s Africa Programme currently operates in 14 countries in West, Central, East and Southern Africa, and is implementing a range of projects focused on species and habitat conservation, biodiversity planning, protected area management, institutional development and capacity building, sustainable use and community-focused wildlife management initiatives.

Liberia is home to large remaining intact sections of Upper Guinean Forest rich in endemic and endangered species not found elsewhere. These forests are at risk from extreme and immediate threats, such as slash-and-burn agricultural expansion, mining and poaching. Liberia is the Africa region’s biggest sub-programme of work, and has been central to FFI’s West Africa programme since 1997, supporting re-establishment of capacity for natural resource management throughout Liberia’s recovery from years of civil conflict. Recently, communities that were returning to their ancestral lands have been faced with further challenges to their livelihoods presented by the biggest outbreak of Ebola HV to date. Recognising how vital the country’s forests are for its people to thrive, FFI continues to support sustainable livelihoods that work in harmony with biodiversity conservation using multiple science-based, best practice approaches, and at landscape level.

The Liberian Government made a declaration in 2006 to put aside 30% of its forest for a protected area network (PAN) in 2006. To date, less than 4% of the PAN has been officially gazetted to formal protected status. The Wonegizi project site sits on the Liberia-Guinea border and is a key example of a critical transboundary forest found within a proposed protected area that is unable to offer the practical protection required whilst addressing the needs of local communities. With funding predominantly from the Norwegian Development Agency (Norad), which has recently been renewed for a further 5 years, FFI has been working at the site since 2010, with the aim to create Liberia’s first REDD+ pilot site, integrated with protected area management.

FFI is seeking a qualified candidate to play a leading role in the design and implementation of the agricultural transformation programme, a key component of the Wonegizi REDD+ Project. The project is one of the most ambitious agricultural extension and transformation programmes undertaken by FFI to date. It is fundamental to sustaining the commitment of local communities to sustainable land use management and reducing deforestation rates, and will pioneer innovation in the long-term financing of conservation efforts in Liberia. At its core is a focus on uniting the conservation and development agendas within and around an area of significant importance for biodiversity – a substantial area of the remaining Upper Guinean Forest ecosystem in Liberia.

The vision and impact of the project will extend beyond the immediate project area, and will inform the development of national policy processes that support replication of community and biodiversity-centred approaches to forest conservation throughout the country. The project illustrates a truly cross-cutting and collaborative approach to delivery, both within FFI and with partners and stakeholders in Liberia. Delivering scalable agricultural transformation that addresses both shifting cultivation practices and commercialisation of cash crop production is central to reducing deforestation. The Agricultural Specialist will need to ensure the project is delivering on the agricultural transformation in line with wider project objectives, with a strong focus on building trust and cooperation with the farmers involved, our local project partners and the wider communities.

You will have strong technical skills in relevant aspects of shifting cultivation, soil management, cash crop development and market access, and experience of managing large scale agricultural development projects. You will have proven skills in the design and delivery of technical training, as well as operational and financial management skills. You will have the training and motivation skills needed to establish trust and engage farmers and local partners, and expertise in the identification and use of locally appropriate technology.

This position will be predominantly based in Lofa County with regular visits to FFI’s office in Monrovia, plus occasional other national and international travel as required to meet project needs. In return, the role offers the opportunity to work within a ground-breaking and entrepreneurial organisation, at the forefront of global conservation.

For further details and to apply please visit: http://www.fauna-flora.org/about/jobs/

The closing date for applications is 5pm Wednesday 7 September 2016.  No agencies please.

FFI values diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity