SNV is a mission-driven global development partner working in more than 20 countries across Africa and Asia. Building on 60 years of experience and grounded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we work on the core themes of gender equality and social inclusion, climate adaptation and mitigation, and strong institutions and effective governance. Together with our team of over 1,600 people, our mission is to strengthen capacities and catalyze partnerships that transform the agri-food, energy, and water systems, which enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all. For more information on SNV, visit our website: www.snv.org

Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF) – Lower Mekong

The Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF) is an UK-government funded, 7 year-programme to reduce poverty and create sustainable economic opportunities for communities living in and dependent on environmentally critical landscapes, through delivering lasting landscape protection, sustainable management and restoration, safeguarding biodiversity whilst improving ecosystem services and climate. The BLF has three envisaged outcomes:

People: Provisioning for sustainable livelihoods, through improved agricultural and ecotourism models and providing IPLCs with legal access to natural resources and PA governance.

Nature: Increasing Forest cover and wildlife populations through improved long-term protection, reduced harvest needs of IPLCs, and improved management of PAs, CPAs and PF corridors.

Climate: Increasing ecosystem and community resilience to climate change through diverse livelihoods, enhanced sequestration rates, reduced GHG emissions and active protection of healthy forests.

A consortium led by Fauna & Flora is implementing interventions in 3 countries in 3 areas. In Laos, the programme will focus among others on Nam Khong Protection Forest in Attapeu Province southern Lao PDR, as well as the adjacent Virachey National Park (VNP) in Ratanakiri and Stung Treng Provinces in Cambodia, and Kon Tum corridor/Chu Mom Ray Protected Area in Vietnam.

Based on livelihood scoping in Cambodia, three key agricultural commodities significantly contribute to household livelihoods within the landscape: cashew, rice, and livestock. Most farmers do organic rice cultivation. IBIS rice company supports these farmers under a no deforestation-no hunting agreement upon payment of a price premium if organically certified. In specific areas like Siem Pang and Veun Sai, IBIS rice is a major income source, fetching double the price of ordinary rice. Meanwhile, in Ta Veaeng and parts of Veun Sai District, cashew serves as the primary income source.

There are existing village interventions with IBIS rice, and some potential areas have not yet been covered. To continue supporting and strengthening IBIS rice farmers, as well as develop new sourcing areas, the SNV-BLF project seeks partners to implement a rice farmer training programme, ensuring organic and conservation compliance, improve climate resilience and create and strengthen farmer clusters to achieve contract farming with the IBIS rice company. Additionally, the implementing partner will continue to support rice production techniques in organic and conservation compliance to achieve high productivity, thereby increasing farmer household income through a sustainable approach in both existing target areas and other potential villages.

Partnership Objective and activities:

1. Train farmers on improving rice yields through organic rice production
   • Training on organic standards and farm diary book to IBIS rice members
   • Distribution and monitoring of farm diary books to farmers
   • Pre-planting technique and rice seed production
   • Pest and nutrient management and demonstration
   • Land leveling training and demonstration of sowing methods
   • Harvest and post-harvest training
   • Collect data from demonstrations
   • Demonstrate small irrigation systems
   • Transplanting using machine
   • Conduct cover crop training, monitoring, and demonstration
   • Compost fertilizer training and demonstration
   • Farmer exchange visits to demonstrations using composting machines
2. Support compliance with organic and IBIS rice standards
   • Training on Internal Control System (ICS) to VMN Inspectors
   • Conduct organic inspection (ICS stage 1)
   • Training on threshing record and Post-harvest Inspection to VMN committee members
   • Monitor harvesting-complete threshing record (ICS stage 2) and check paddy cleaning storage
   • Post-harvest Inspection (ICS stage 3)
   • Coordinate with national park rangers/conservation organisations on complying with conservation standards
3. Facilitate Market Linkage:
   • Promote IBIS rice project and disseminate organic wildlife-friendly rules in 3 existing villages
   • Farmer registration and group forming
   • Farmer training on production costs, sales pricing, profit
   • Provide IBIS rice seeds under credit
   • Facilitate sale agreement and farmer’s contract arrangement with the IBIS rice company

The detail of Term of Reference can be sought to email: [email protected]

• Legal entity/ Organization who experiences in Ibis rice
• Experience in facilitating smallholder rice farmer market linkages
• Proven experience working with the IBIS rice company and adherence to their standards
• Experience of training smallholder farmers in organic rice production
• Functioning presence in BLF target area of Siem Pang and Veun Sai districts
• Financial proposal including fee and listing the key persons who are part of the delivery team on the project in the table below

Interested applicants are requested to submit the project proposal and budget proposal to SmartRecruiter through provided link. The deadline for application by Wednesday, 04 September 2024.