Consultancy-Market study of agroforestry job at Palladium | Apply Now

Uganda Climate Smart Jobs (CSJ) is a 4-year programme funded by the UK's International Climate Fund. CSJ consists of three sub-components: component 1A, which is a market systems development intervention; Component 1B, which is running a challenge fund called the Uganda Climate Innovation Fund; and Component 1C, focusing on supporting innovations that target ecosystem services and sustainable land management, such as services relating to biodiversity, water supply, tree planting, and soil management.

Component 1A of the CSJ programme will be implemented and delivered through a market development approach that involves partnerships with the private sector. The key objective of CSJ component 1A is to support large-scale job creation in the agri-business sector, with a view to improving productivity and/or incomes in agriculture.

Component 1C builds on that market system development approach but focuses on ecosystem services/sustainable land management. Component 1C has designed innovations and interventions that are commercially viable and scalable, and which maximise the benefits of ecosystem services to smallholder farmers, women, refugees, and host communities. Component 1C will work with private sector and agri-SMEs (Small to Medium Enterprises) to test innovations that are pre-proof of concept or post-proof of concept. These innovations will provide solutions to SHFs to cope with the impact of climate change through sustainable land management practices. 1C will explore existing or new market opportunities for sustainable land management where the private sector, individual, and community groups may lack sufficient incentive to participate. Component 1C has four innovations or thematic areas: agroforestry, climate financing, soil restoration, and non-timber forest products.

Background to the assignment
Under 1C, CSJ will focus on integrated, private sector-driven agroforestry models that improve biodiversity. We want to see interventions drive the uptake of agroforestry trees by promoting indigenous, fast-maturing charcoal, timber, and fruit tree species that have mutual benefits such as; nitrogen fixation, improved soil health, fodder for livestock, fuel wood, and fruits for improved nutrition (Tree species that may be economical but don’t provide sufficient ecosystem services, such as eucalyptus and pine, will not be promoted.). These activities will help to address soil degradation and provide alternative income sources to smallholder farmers.

CSJ research established there are constraints for SHFs to adopt agroforestry tree species in NU and Kiryandongo District, for instance the low incentives for businesses and SHFs to invest in agroforestry due to the long time before return on investment. These give rise to the need for the development of innovations focused on agroforestry business models that support biodiversity conservation and/or restoration and SHF climate resilience.

There is research concerning commercial forestry in Uganda but there is limited information regarding agroforestry species supply and demand. Hence the need for this market study on agroforestry business models that support biodiversity and SHF climate resilience.

Objective of the assignment
The consultant will perform a market study to assess the demand and supply of agroforestry, specifically looking at fruit trees, indigenous trees agroforestry trees that provide timber, and agroforestry that provide ecosystem services (e.g. nitrogen fixing, fodder for livestock). to determine key opportunities for CSJ to engage in this sector. This will include analysing market trends, identifying key stakeholders, evaluating economic feasibility, and understanding the environmental impact of undertaking agroforestry.

The analysis will highlight the commercial viability of the identified agroforestry categories, e.g., fruit trees. This will inform, inspire as well as guide investment decisions for CSJ to invest in agroforestry models that will benefit the ecosystem as well as smallholder farmers (SHFs).

Scope of work:
The primary objective of the study is to gather relevant information and insights about key agroforestry categories that can guide decision-making for CSJ. The study will be conducted in the different regions of Northern Uganda i.e. Lango, Acholi, West Nile and Kiryandongo districts, and with specific focus on SHFs, women, refugees, and hosts.
The technical details of the market study are: