Consultancy for Study of Impact on Cost of Production Applying Different Weed Management Practices

TERMS OF REFERENCE

CONSULTANCY FOR

Study of impact on cost of production applying different weed management practices

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 organizations as the Sustainable Trade Initiative – IDH, NKG 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 to carry out an Economic study of impact on cost of coffee production in farms applying different weed management practices (with and without herbicide application) and for possible alternative practices.

2.      Objectives

Overall objective: Understanding the production cost implication of alternative weed management practices vs herbicide application e.g. glyphosate and other hazardous herbicides 

2.1.   Specific objectives:

Specifically, the consultant is expected to:

• Formulate an outline of the economic study including the implementation method, approach, different archetypes (mono vs multi-cropping/agro-forestry, young – old farms, …) and the different weed management practices including herbicide alternatives;
• Formulate an economic study report with clear economic comparison of different weed management practices and applications; + Projection of Farm benefits & disadvantages over a longer period beyond just cost;
• Disseminate the results and key findings to public and private Coffee Sector ‘s stakeholders via a workshop or a public event organized by GCP Collective Action Initiative.

3.      Deliverables

The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

4.      Consultant qualification

For this assignment we expect an agricultural economist who brings the following assets/experiences:

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

5.      Procedures

The procedure will be as follows:

• Announcement of assignment: 04 June 2021
• Submission of proposals plus quotations by candidates: prior to 15 June 2021
• Criteria for assessment of the proposals:

• Evaluation of the candidates’ proposals and decision made on selection of consultant.
• Contract signing: 20 June 2021.

6.      Deadline for proposal submission: 15 June 2021

7.      Contact information

For any question, please contact Ms. Lê Ph??ng Tú – Project Officer, via email: [email protected]