Consultant on Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Food Systems, Indigenous museums network

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

FAO is a specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO's goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 Members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations leads international efforts to defeat hunger and to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. We believe that everyone can play a part in ending hunger.
The position is located at FAO’s Liaison Office with the Russian Federation (LOR) in Moscow. The incumbent works under the overall supervision of Director, LOR, and reports directly to the Liaison Officer. The incumbent works in close cooperation with all other LOR employees.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent works under the overall supervision of Director, LOR, and reports directly to the Director and Liaison Officer. The incumbent works in close cooperation with all other LOR employees.

Technical Focus

1.    Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous Peoples are stewards of natural resources and guardians of approximately 80 percent of the world’s remaining biodiversity. They maintain rich and nutritious native foods and food systems that are key to climate resilience, sustainable agriculture and healthy diets. Their customary knowledge and resource-management practices provide site-specific, dynamic and effective solutions in the face of rapid environmental change. At the same time, Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge, food systems and ways of life face significant and urgent threats of erosion, loss of territory, dispossession and lack of recognition.
The Indigenous Peoples Unit (PSUI) within FAO supports the implementation of the 2010 FAO Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, coordinates the Global Hub on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems and works to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are recognized as full partners in achieving sustainable food systems, biodiversity protection and the Sustainable Development Goals.

2.   Indigenous Food Systems

Indigenous peoples are stewards of natural resources and the guardians of 80 percent of global biodiversity and nutritious native foods. They are key partners in finding solutions to climate change and reshaping our food systems. Indigenous peoples’ food systems can play a significant role in informing the transformation of food systems, making them more sustainable, climate resilient, nutritious and respectful of nature. Indigenous peoples are gatekeepers of a great cultural and biological diversity; they are key allies for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge and customary systems guide their food system practices and have allowed them to ensure continuity of their existence and well-being, sometimes in face of major environmental changes. Indigenous peoples’ knowledge systems have proven to be dynamic, results-oriented, and site-specific to the people and environment. However, the speed at which indigenous peoples’ knowledge is being lost needs urgent actions to preserve and learn from it before it completely disappears.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Consultant will support the LOR in its work on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems, traditional knowledge, and climate-resilient stewardship of biodiversity. The role will provide hands-on experience in research, advocacy, knowledge-management, capacity-development and policy support related to Indigenous Peoples and food-system transformation. The Consultant will contribute to ensuring that Indigenous Peoples’ perspectives, knowledges and rights are integrated into FAO’s work, particularly around food security, climate and biodiversity.

Consultant will perform the following specific tasks:

•     Assist in research and rapid analysis on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems, traditional knowledge, territory-based practices, and biodiversity stewardship.
•     Support the preparation of information materials, briefings, knowledge-products and web-content (e.g., webpages of the Global Hub on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems, and MuNe) reflecting Indigenous Peoples’ contributions to sustainable agro-food systems.
•     Contribute to organization of workshops, webinars, meetings and consultations with Indigenous Peoples, partners, and stakeholders (such as Indigenous youth and women) on food‐system transformation, climate resilience, biodiversity protection and rights.
•     Assist in monitoring, documentation and dissemination of lessons-learned on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems, including case-studies of resilience, sustainability and nutrition.
•     Support data-management, maintenance of databases and updates of Unit-records related to Indigenous Peoples’ work.
•     Assist in mainstreaming and integrating the Indigenous Peoples dimension (rights, food systems, knowledge, climate and biodiversity) into FAO programmes, including coordination with relevant country/regional offices and focal points.
•     Contribute to capacity-development tools and training materials for Indigenous Peoples’ organisations, youth and women around traditional food-systems, climate adaptation and biodiversity.

Contribute to the FAO MuNe activities, including:

•     Supporting content development for the Indigenous Peoples’ room (HOPE) at FAO MuNe, which features Indigenous Peoples’ cosmogony, food and knowledge systems, and emphasizes meaningful representation of Indigenous voices.
•     Assisting with coordination of museum-network outreach, documentation of artifacts/audiovisual materials, liaising with Indigenous communities and museum partners in accordance with Free, Prior and Informed Consent principles. 
•     Supporting exhibit planning, educational outreach, and network partner engagement (museums, cultural institutions, communities) for the FAO MuNe network.

Perform other relevant tasks as required by LOR to support its overall programme of work (which includes pillars such as Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), indigenous women, indigenous youth, traditional knowledge & climate change) in line with the FAO Policy on Indigenous Peoples.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

•     Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in Indigenous People, sociology, politics, cultural heritage, climate studies, agro-tourism or any other discipline relevant to the work of Organization.  Any participation in national and international Indigenous People’s conferences, events is considered to be an additional benefit for the candidate;
•     3 years of relevant experience in similar fields, e.g. Indigenous people, agro-tourism, sociology, cultural heritage, politics, climate studies. Consultants with bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.
•     Working knowledge of English and Russian; 
•     Representatives of the Indigenous People and Indigenous women are encouraged to apply.

FAO Core Competencies

•     Results Focus
•     Teamwork
•     Communication
•     Building Effective Relationships
•     Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

•     Relevant academic study in one of the fields of the Organization.
•     Extent and relevance of experience in establishing partnerships, networks, and/or multi-stakeholder platforms, and identifying synergies and opportunities on the GIAHS/NIAHS tracks.
•     Ability to operate effectively in a team, contributing positively to team operations and working relationships
•     Familiarity with FAO processes, initiatives, and policies.
•     Excellent analytical and conceptual skills, as well as gender sensitive and cross-cultural competency.
•     Excellent writing skills