Consultancy – Capacity building trainings to encourage the organizing of Rubber farmers cooperatives

Object: Request for Expressions of Interest (EOI)

RFP: Consultancy – Capacity building trainings to encourage the organizing of Rubber farmers cooperatives

Project: ICARE (Towards a Responsive Rubber Industry in South East Asia)

Reports to: Head of Forest and Livelihoods

Supervised by: Sustainable Agriculture Project Coordinator

Duration: From March 2023 to January 2024

Location: Yangon and travel to project areas

Context

We are WWF, one of the world’s leading conservation organisations. We have been working for nearly 60 years and have offices in 100 countries. We believe together we can protect Myanmar’s globally important forests and rivers. Together we will ensure a future for Myanmar’s precious wildlife. We believe everyone has a role to play in forging a sustainable future and together we can empower people to make Myanmar, and our planet, a better place for everyone. Find out more at www.wwf.org.mm.

Approximately 12.6 million tons of natural rubber are produced worldwide each year. Since the early 2000s, the increase in world demand for rubber has led to a considerable increase in its price, which has tripled between 2001 and 2011. In the Greater Mekong region, the changes in rubber production methods brought about by this increased demand have important social but also environmental consequences: reconfiguration of production structures, establishment of foreign companies and direct competitors of the small producers who are still in the majority, increased vulnerability of the latter to price variations, but also deforestation, forest degradation and pollution.

WWF-Thailand, WWF-Myanmar and WWF-Cambodia have been working for several years to support small producers in their transition to sustainable rubber production, which is beneficial to both biodiversity and their quality of life. In the long term, the project will restore 50,000 ha of degraded land; and 50% of the natural rubber plantations in Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar will be able to supply members of the Group for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR). To achieve this, the project will establish Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (MSPs) for SNR by 2022; support 15 cooperatives or SMEs towards the production of SNR; and contribute to the restoration of 300 ha of degraded ecosystems in areas of critical connectivity for biodiversity.

The overall target: By 2030, 50% of the Greater Mekong Regional Rubber Plantations (in Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand) are sustainably managed and 50,000 ha of ecological corridors in rubber-dominated landscapes are restored.

Specific objective 1: At least 2 Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (MSPs) are established in each country at local and national level to disseminate the principles of Sustainable Natural Rubber (SNR), to bring the voice of small producers/cooperatives to influence policy reforms.

Specific objective 2: 15 cooperatives and/or SMEs are created or strengthened to ensure an efficient and traceable Sustainable Natural Rubber (SNR) supply chain.

Specific objective 3: A scientific and participatory restoration strategy is developed in at least two countries and put into practice in a landscape dominated by rubber tree cultivation, in order to restore 300 ha of forest areas and to develop agroforestry using methods adapted to local conditions.

In Myanmar, as in the rest of South East Asia, rubber plantations have been a major focus of attention on the agricultural sector. On the one hand side, the increased of demand for natural rubber has raised the price of the commodity making it an attractive industrial crop that can be used to improve farmers’ economies. On the other hand, current farmer associations have limited influence on the distribution of value along the supply chain. For that reason, and given economic pressures, farmers’ surplus is limited and their capacity to improve their livelihood is reduced. However, WWF Myanmar believes that by improving the capacity of farmers to organize, they will have access to markets that value their engagement with sustainable practices.

Objective of the consultancy

The main objective of the consultancy is to support the agriculture team on the creation of the sustainable natural rubber (SNR) farmers associations and organizing the capacity building trainings using the farming cooperative teaching materials and curriculum which was developed by WWF-Myanmar.

Specific responsibilities

1. Preparing the training plan and modules
2. Conducting ToTs Training
3. Organizing farmers’ cooperative training
4. Development of a pilot case SNR farmer association.
5. Design of robust monitoring strategy to evaluate the impact of farmer associations on the environment and on farmers’ livelihoods.

Requirements to apply to this Restricted Tender

Concerning this position, WWF-Myanmar prefer the team or consultant organizations and the team members’ qualification should be relevant with following requirement.

1. Education and Experience

• Team members should have master’s degree and bachelor title in business development and cooperative with at least 7 years of experience consultant team in the implementation of sustainable development and farmers’ cooperative projects (different combinations of education degrees can be considered based on their field experience).
• Strong applied work on sustainable development in Myanmar or places with similar conditions.
• Previous experience working in Myanmar is strongly desired.
• Proven understanding on cooperative business model and sustainable agriculture.
• Promoting team synergy in a multi-cultural work environment.
• Demonstrating initiative and ability to identify innovative approaches.