Consultancy for Consolidation of Best Weed Management Practices and Development of Integrated Weed Management Manual

TERMS OF REFERENCE

CONSULTANCY FOR

Consolidation of best weed management practices and development of an integrated weed management manual

1.      Introduction

The Global Coffee Platform (GCP) is an inclusive multi-stakeholder sustainability platform that convenes coffee stakeholders, prioritizes sustainability issues and catalyzes local action and progress measurement in collaboration with country platforms to create a thriving and sustainable coffee sector. Members of the Global Coffee Platform include farmers and farmer organizations, traders (exporters and importers), coffee roasters and retailers, other supply chain actors, civil society organizations, coffee associations and others.

GCP’s Collective Action Initiatives (CAI) optimize sustainability investments and multiply impact through pooling resources, knowledge, and networks to collectively address country specific sustainability gaps. By partnering with GCP, participants of a CAI support the coffee sector to identify and address complex issues through a structured and collaborative approach.

In June 2020, GCP Vietnam launched a 5-year Collective Action Initiative for effective and responsible use and management of agro-inputs in Vietnam, which focuses on addressing the responsible use of agro-inputs (especially herbicides) in the coffee sector in Vietnam by improving the enabling environment and sector policies, providing support and training to farmers and stakeholders in the Central Highlands and conducting research to gather and document best practices and lessons learned. Results of the Initiative will be shared with Vietnamese and International coffee sector stakeholders in order to upscale best practices. The Initiative has drawn high attention and commitments from roasters, including Nestlé, JDE and Tchibo as well as from organisations as the Sustainable Trade Initiative – IDH and the Lavazza Foundation and is being promoted to additional interested actors to participate in this initiative.

In this context, GCP is looking for consulting services  for consolidation of best weed management practices and development of an integrated weed management manual.

2. Objectives

2.1. Overall objective: Consolidating effective and alternative weed management practices to reduce environmental pollution, improve the livelihood of coffee farmers, reduce production costs and meet the MRL regulatory requirements of destination markets for the coffee produced in Vietnam.

2.2. Specific objectives:  Develop an integrated weed management manual, which will be officially recognized and endored by MARD to be used for TOTs and TOFs in the Coffee sector. The manual consists of at least but not limited to following contents:

• Common types of weeds in the Central Highlands
• Weed prevention
• Different weed management control methods (physical/mechanical, cultural, biological, chemical, …) including pro & cons
• Integrated weed control management
• Using herbicides correctly including spot spraying and calibration of spray equipment and nozzles
• Herbicide toxity including impact on human health, bio-diversity, soil health,…
• Chemical handling and disposal of used chemical containers
• Safety in weed management
• MRL regulatory requirements inclusive economic and reputational risks

Specifically, the consultant is expected to:

• Consolidate best weed management practices including pro and cons and
• Compile an integrated weed management training manual highlighting best practices.

3.      Deliverables

The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

4.      Consultant qualification

For this assignment we expect an agriculture consultant who brings the following assets/experiences:

• Experienced and knowledgeable about coffee agronomy and compilation of training materials for the Agriculture Sector
• Having  at least 10 years working experiences in plant protection/agriculture sector
• Education background (Master, preferably PhD degree) on plant protection, agriculture, economics;
• Fluency in both specialized Vietnamese and English languages and  
• Clear communicator, capable of translating complex information into an accessible and understandable format.  

5.      Procedures

The procedure will be as follows:

• Announcement of assignment: 08 October 2020
• Submission of proposals plus quotations by candidates: prior to 23 October 2020
• Criteria for assessment of the  proposals:

• Evaluation of the candidates’ proposals and decision made on selection of consultant
• Contract signing: 28 October 2020.

6.      Deadline for proposal submission: 23 October 2020

7.      Contact information

For any question, please contact Ms. Doan Tran Thu Thuy – Project Officer, via email: [email protected]