The Equité program (support for fair trade dynamics in West Africa) began in January 2016. This program has already been implemented in two phases (2016-2019 and 2019-2024) and the third phase will begin in October 2024. It is based in Abidjan and will operate in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Benin, and Togo. Its objective is to contribute to the sustainable economic development of low-income countries and to fight poverty, as well as to strengthen family farming by supporting the development of fair and sustainable value chains in West Africa. AVSF (Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières) is the program manager on behalf of Commerce Equitable France (CEF). In order to monitor the program’s activities in Ghana, AVSF is looking for a bilingual project officer to support the beneficiary producer organizations (POs) in implementing their activities.

1. Context and responsibilities of the bilingual project officer in Ghana

Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF) is a professional international solidarity association recognized as a public utility, which has been working since 1977 to support smallholder farming. The association is working in Africa, Asia, and South America with smallholder communities to promote agroecological transitions to address food insecurity and the economic vulnerability of smallholder families. AVSF also contributes to the consolidation of producer organizations and their growing participation in both local and export markets (fair trade, organic and quality markets) for fairer remuneration and a consequent improvement in the living conditions of farming families. To find out more about AVSF, visit: www.avsf.org

Phase 3 of the Equité project, approved by the French Development Agency (AFD) and co-financed by the FFEM, aims to share and disseminate the results and innovations of the previous phases. Its ultimate goal is to contribute to the fight against poverty at the , by strengthening fair trade sectors that favor small producers, supporting the transition to agroecology, and professionalizing certified fair trade cooperatives in West Africa. In the case of the cocoa sector, it will contribute in particular to the implementation of the new European regulation on combating “imported” deforestation (RDUE), which provides for the imposition of full traceability of cocoa placed on the European market from 2025. programme-equite.org

1. Job description

Duties and responsibilities

• Ensure the overall coordination of phase 3 of the equity program in Ghana
• Facilitate the identification of partners for phase 3 of the program,
• Support partner producer organizations (POs) in implementing their activities related to the production, processing, and marketing of their certified products
• Disseminate priority information on the existence, content, and progress of the project to all stakeholders involved in the Fair Trade program at the national level
• Ensure strategic monitoring of traceability issues in the cocoa sector,
• Support the implementation of action research activities within the POs benefiting from the facility and monitor interim results;
• Support cooperatives in their search for profitable commercial outlets in fair trade and organic markets.
• Facilitate the consolidation of management capacities and access to financing for cocoa sector producer organizations,
• Coordinate regional and international exchanges between the National Fair Trade Platform,
• Conduct activities to promote gender equality and social inclusion,
• Facilitate activities promoting agroecology, fair trade, and organic farming in Ghana,
• Support external service providers for the Equity program,
• Contribute to establishing the project baseline and provide input to project monitoring and evaluation tools;
• Monitor the partnership with Fair Trade Ghana Network (FTGN),
• Facilitate advocacy activities for the cocoa sector in Ghana,
• Ensure transparent management of financial and logistical resources,
• Represent the project and AVSF and monitor AVSF’s commitments to local authorities;
• Contribute to the development and implementation of a cooperation strategy in Ghana;
• Actively contribute to the identification, formulation, and negotiation of projects,
• Contribute to AVSF and its partners’ advocacy activities, communication initiatives, and AVSF’s community life,
• Ensure the archiving of all project-related documents (reports, photos, accounting, correspondence, etc.).

Required profile:

• Be a citizen of an ECOWAS country,
• Agricultural engineer or agroeconomist with at least five years of proven experience,
• Good command of written and spoken French and English (mandatory);
• The candidate must demonstrate an aptitude for teamwork, strong analytical and synthesis skills, excellent interpersonal and writing skills, as well as a high degree of personal autonomy and adaptability.

Required skills and experience:

• Solid knowledge of West African supply chains and certification dynamics (Fair Trade mandatory, organic if possible),
• Experience working with a variety of technical and financial partners,
• Experience working in West Africa or Ghana is an asset,
• Experience in structuring producer organizations and facilitating advocacy actions and agricultural sector development,
• Experience implementing or coordinating projects and programs promoting agroecological practices,
• Good command of data collection software (Kobo, ODK, etc.);
• Good writing and summarizing skills;