81309964-Deforestation-free livestock farming and Green Finance in Ecuador

The contractor will be working closely with the ELKE team and will be responsible for the implementation of the livestock value chain (cross-cutting throughout Output 1 to 4), as well as for the Green Finance component, which is part of Output 1.

Amongst the main activities, the contractor will work at the national level on the development of a national standard for deforestation-free certification of livestock production and advisory services to financial institutions and the development of two green credit lines incentivizing deforestation-free production for the five selected supply chains of the program (Output 1).

In addition, the contractor shall be responsible for developing and implementing modules of a rural extension system for the livestock sector (sustainable and deforestation-free production). The contractor will also be responsible for capacity building of financial actors, the public sector and beneficiaries of financial products (financial education) to encourage the adaptation and application of sustainable production techniques and marketing practices for shrimp, livestock, pitahaya, timber and cacao in the provinces of Manabí and Esmeraldas (Output 1 and 2).

At the landscape level in Esmeraldas and Manabí, the contractor will provide technical assistance to livestock associations in the implementation of regenerative cattle ranching techniques for sustainable and deforestation-free production (Output 2). Through the promotion of small producer certification, the development/improvement of a traceability system and commercial agreements with national and international companies, the contractor will strengthen access to markets that demand sustainable and deforestation-free livestock products (in the supply chains of milk and meat) (Output 3).

Through concrete measures implemented at the landscape level (change projects, in Spanish "proyectos de cambio"), the contractor will strengthen local initiatives promoting conservation, forest restoration, digitalization, climate change adaptation and the participation of women, young people and indigenous peoples at the landscape level with the objective of reducing deforestation (Output 4).

The impact assumption is that agriculture and aquaculture producers will improve the productivity of their farms thanks to better support from rural extension agents and producer organizations, stop clearing their forest areas and thus contribute to reducing deforestation in the selected supply chains. In addition, it is intended that producers will be the basis for companies in the selected supply chains to have an interest in implementing concrete agreements with suppliers regarding "zero deforestation" as an integral part of their business policies. Landscape-level change projects seek to involve local actors and generate a longer-term impact, including marginalized groups.

Consultancy objectives:

- To strengthen the technical framework at the national level and in the program implementation zones for the adaptation and application of sustainable and deforestation-free production techniques and marketing practices in the livestock sector. - To strengthen the financial framework at the national and subnational levels, and develop financial tools and models to create incentives for the application of sustainable and deforestation-free good agricultural practices and to promote access to financial resources for small producers. - To build the capacity of rural extension agents and producer organizations in Manabí and Esmeraldas regarding the introduction of sustainable and deforestation-free production techniques (livestock) and specific capacity building in financial education for financial and public institutes, and beneficiaries. - To establish supply agreements between buyers of products from livestock chains that recognize sustainable, climate-adapted and deforestation-free production, preferably with farms managed by women. - To develop or improve a traceability system and encourage certification in the livestock sector. - To implement landscape-level change projects with local people's participation at the landscape level with a comprehensive program approach. - To support the implementation of actions on cross-cutting issues (gender, digitization) for the ELKE programme.