• History and spread of PGS globally.
• What is the purpose of existence of the different PGSes globally?
• How do the different PGS in different countries function and how are they structured?
• How is capacity building of smallholder farmers (SHFs) and their collectives (i.e. producer groups, farmer groups, cooperatives) included in the different PGS modalities?
• What is the structural organization of the different PGS around the world?- apex bodies, governance modalities, interactions with formal cooperatives, regional organisation and federation, recognized marks and market access modalities, consumer voices (if possible, provide specific information about the AE-I countries that consider engaging with PGS, for example Kenya, Peru, Senegal and India, to understand the organizational structure (and rules) in each of them).
• What are the context-specific standard localisations of PGSes around the world (i.e. in Kenya, PGS is related with organic farming and standards, while in Peru, it is much more related to people-centred agroecology movement that is almost opposed to the formalised big-scale organic market developments).
• What are the unique strengths, challenges, opportunities, and lessons learnt from the existing PGS around the world (identify these indicating the countries and PGS type)
• Which regulatory and non-regulatory policy options exist to strengthen PGS and its functioning (see: https://www.ifoam.bio/sites/default/files/2020- 03/policybrief_how_governments_can_support_pgs.pdf) What are the gaps and recommendations in effective implementation and scaling of PGS?
• Explore examples of successful PGSes that are gender-responsive and inclusive. Outline what has worked and what can potentially be considered when developing an inclusive AEPGS

• The history of the PGS in Kenya and how did it come about including key milestones and driving forces.
• What’s the legal anchorage / policy context in Kenya. Existing regulatory frameworks and how they support or hinder PGS
• What are the specific policy gaps and barriers that need to be addressed to support the scaling of PGS.
• Who supports the scaling of PGS in Kenya, who funds it, who organizes it, who is included in the scaling?
• What is the actual spread of PGS and how do groups organise; which challenges exist for groups to form and maintain themselves.
• What is the apex body (KOAN), how is it related to marks (e.g. Kilimo Hai), what are the experience with the apex body and the mark which are challenging and/or supporting the further development of PGS
• All the above should include a gender and intersectionality lens to outline who, and how different groups are involved in PGS, what gendered challenges and opportunities exist. c. Using PGS in the context of agroecology Conduct literature review globally to understand:
• Do PGS groups specifically for agroecology exist – and if so where and how do they define their principles?
• What is the relationship between different PGS emphases and various certification standards (where are they aligned with existing officially recognized certification standards, and which ones; is there any attempt to push agroecological certification via PGS towards export?)
• What exists in terms of relevant norms and certification standards that we can draw on in the context of agroecology (13 principles; organic; fair trade etc.);
• How can an agroecology PGS standard include (1) the idea that agroecology is a transition and not a state – so less strict than organic, (2) agroecology is more than natural farming, but also includes economic circularity and social justice considerations
• Which other group certifications exist in the farming space – organic, regenerative agriculture, etc. – in Kenya and beyond to take inspiration for whether and how introducing a new AE mark might be reasonable
• Which potential strengths and weaknesses of an AE PGD in comparison to other existing PGS? What is the added value of having one, and which existing gaps will be filled by having an AE PGS?
• Which trajectories are possible depending on the starting point in given systems – how can it be accessible and affordable and allow for demand-driven (bottom-up) engagement – and how could reasonable institutional anchorage be achieved – via the government, standards, etc. – and be structured in a way that gives a voice to members?

• The study is based on a rigorous and systematic literature review. Beyond reviewing existing academic and practice-focused materials, additional primary data collection will be conducted, including:
• Map the main actors promoting PGS globally (incl. IFOAM, Agroecology Fund, etc.) and identify interesting learning cases for further investigation
• Conduct key informant interviews with a small number of core global actors The systematic literature review and KIIs with global actors will be complimented by additional fieldwork and stakeholder engagement in Kenya to cover the following:
• Map existing PGS groups in the country (incl. with the help of KOAN and PELUM) and identify interesting learning cases for further investigation
• Where applicable, conduct field visits to Kiambu and Makueni Agroecological Living Landscapes (under the AE-I) to engage and conduct interviews with farmers, cooperatives, and other stakeholders, to get insights on questions under section (b & c) above
• Conduct KIIs with a range of national stakeholders engaged in agroecology (e.g. PELUM, Biovision, Murang’a county, local authorities etc), to get insights on questions under section (b & c) above
• Document observations and insights gathered from field visits.
• Include one specific case study on the ‘Ngong Organic Farmers’ run by CSHEP, including insights from CSHEP director on what qualifies farmers to be members, how they evaluate that the PGS rules are followed, etc CSHEP is marketing organic vegetables locally.

• Develop and deploy KII and FGD tools and other study instruments to collect data on (AE) PGS as required under section (2) above.
• Analyses the collected data to identify trends, patterns, and key findings.
• Writing report of the KII study

• Share findings of the systematic literature review and the KIIs
• Validate the findings and obtain more insights from the participants in relation to issues captured under sections (1&2) above
• Agree on the way forward with AE-PGS for Kenya

• Results of the Systematic Literature Review capturing key findings from the literature review and context analysis.
• Results of the field visits and KIIs c. Insights from the national level validation/dissemination workshop

Requirements

• At least a Master’s degree, preferably in agricultural sciences background, or any other related discipline.
• Experience working in the field of sustainable land management and agroecology; experience in the context of certification and specifically PGS will be an added advantage.
• Experience in conducting systematic literature review.
• Experience in fieldwork, data collection, qualitative analysis and reporting, with knowledge of qualitative study and analytical tools.
• Strong skills in stakeholder engagement; English is a must, Kiswahili, Kikamba, and Kikuyu are an advantage.
• Strong report writing skills.
• Excellent communication skills.

Applications

Applicants are invited to visit https://www.bioversityinternational.org/jobs/ to get full details of the position and to submit their applications. Applications MUST include reference number Ref: Consultant:  Understanding the potential for Agroecological Participatory Guarantee Systems (AE-PGS) in  Kenya as the position applied for. Application and CV should be saved as one document using the candidate’s last name, first name for ease of sorting.

Note: The Alliance does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). The Alliance also does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.

Applications closing date: 20th June 2024

Please note that email applications will not be considered.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

We invite you to learn more about us at:

http://alliancebioversityciat.org