F&S Update

03 Apr 2019
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Vacancy at F&S: Want to be part of our Team of Consultants?

Sticky Post By On 3 April 2019

F&S wishes to recruit a self-motivated, energetic and result-oriented consultant who will join and work together with a team of experienced national and international consultants.

Required Profile:

Qualification, competence in one of the following disciplines: Value chain development, agribusiness, investment (business) plan, market systems, livelihood systems, sustainable development, inclusive economic development.

Familiarity with themes: on agri. sectors – livestock, food crops, cash crops, horticulture; natural resource management, pastoralism, access to finance, labour market, youth employment, gender in value chains, entrepreneurship, etc.

Education: at least a master’s level in economics, agronomy, business management, rural development, or any related field.

Work experience: at least 10 years relevant experience, preferably in international organizations; with practical engagement in consultancy works.

Additional skills: IT, analytical/research, facilitation/training skills, presentation, excellent report writing

Attitude:  highly flexible, versatile, multi-tasked, client satisfaction, attention to quality, time consciousness.

Language: A very good command of English as working language; as well as Amharic. Proficiency in one the regional languages is a plus.

Women are highly encouraged to apply!

  • Deadline – 21 April 2019
  • Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
  • Motivation letter with a CV can be sent directly to assegid.gedamu@fs-ethiopia.com, with a copy to meskerem.bedilu@fs-ethiopia.com

Please find the full call advert HERE.

05 Mar 2019
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Why a gender approach is good for workers, business and the sector: case from the Ethiopian Flower sector

Sticky Post By On 5 March 2019

Originally published at Fair & Sustainable Consulting

Conducted by Fair & Sustainable Consulting and Fair & Sustainable Ethiopia, funded by IDH and ICCO, and supported by FSI, BSR and EHPEA

At global level there is ample and increasing evidence that investing in the female workforce aligns well with business priorities, such as meeting productivity targets, maintaining a strong and stable workforce, increasing labor productivity, compliance with health and safety requirements, and improved worker engagement.

The question was whether such evidence could also be found in the Ethiopian floriculture sector, where gender interventions took place since 2014 by the Ethiopian Horticulture Producers and Exporters Association (EHPEA) and the Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), supported by IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative and the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI).

Therefore IDH decided to commission a study in the Ethiopian flower sector, co-funded by ICCO,  to test the hypothesis that Gender interventions (e.g. inclusive policies and practices) increase workers’ satisfaction and engagement (for women and men) and lead to changes in employee attitudes, behavior and work motivation, which leads to improved business performance of flower farms. 

Jochem Schneemann (teamleader) : “Based on our strong track record in Gender and value chains, IDH selected Fair & Sustainable Consulting (Netherlands) and Fair & Sustainable Ethiopia to conduct the study. We started preparations in February, and visited five farms in Ethiopia in May 2018. Our mixed team consisted of: Hibiete Tesfaye, Ayalew Abebe, Jingwei Ling and myself”.

Photo: Greenhouse, by F&S May 2018

Data collection was done in four ways: Interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), exploring farm records through HR staff, and a desk review of available project documents and other relevant literature.

Jochem Schneemann: “It was great to hear from both women and men in the flower farms how the awareness raising and training on gender issues and role of gender committees have made a difference on the work floor, and also in their personal lives. Female workers feel more respected by colleagues and management, and are more confident to discuss sensitive topics also with their husbands and community members”.

The gender interventions by the EHPEA projects were found relevant and effective, as shown by the outcomes of the Most Significant Change method used by the F&S consultant team (see the quotes at the bottom). The good practices of the five farms leading to improved business performance were documented and serve for learning and sharing in the sector and even beyond. Those are summarized in the figure below.

The relationship between good practices and business benefits

Most farm owners and managers stated that the (gender) investments pay off, and most see gender interventions as rational and necessary for them to stay in business, not in the last place because the majority (up to 80%) of their workers is female.

We are grateful to IDH for the opportunity offered to us, and we are glad that IDH has published the results of the study in multiple ways: in an infographic (1 pager), a slide deck as well as the full report – for those interested in the details.

For more information please contact Jochem Schneemann: jochem.schneemann@fairandsustainable.nl

01 Feb 2019
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Cross-border MSD – Kenya/Ethiopia

Sticky Post By On 1 February 2019

Since October 2018, F&S has been undertaking an assignment on cross-border market system development project of CST at Kenya and Ethiopia border areas.

CST is alliance of UK based International NGOS, namely CAFOD, Trocaire and SCIAF. Its project aims to improve the livelihood of people in Borena and Marsabit. F&S is hired to conduct value chain and livelihoods assessments. Moreover, capacity building of field staff on Market System Development (MSD) is also our important task.

Currently, we have submitted our draft report after conducting a two and half day workshop introducing MSD in Nairobi and a field assessment at Marsabit. With regard to Borana, our activity is postpond to Febraury due to conflicts in the area.

 

Our consultants Assegid Gedamu and Victor van der Linden are involving in this assignment.

21 Nov 2018
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Contract Farming, concept and practices in Ethiopia

Sticky Post By On 21 November 2018

This publication from 2017 will provide you with insight on the Concept and Practice of Contract Farming in Ethiopia.

The objective of the publication is bring forward eight contract farming case studies made in Ethiopia on different agricultural value chains malt barely, chickpea, seed potatoes, sesame, bamboo, green beans, passion fruit, and sugar cane.

F&S Ethiopia contributed four cases on malt barley, bamboo, passion fruit and sugarcane. In collaboration with organizations and programs, such as LANDac, Change (C4C), SNV, Agriterra, and Ethiopia Netherlands Trade for Agricultural Growth programme of Wageningen UR (ENTAG), F&S produced a publication entitled “Contract Farming in Ethiopia: Concept and Practice”. Beside case contribution, F&S has engaged in fund mobilization and stakeholder’s involvement. The publication of the book was followed by a public event – panel discussion – participating relevant government officials and experts.

As a result of this assignment, F&S and its partners has contributed a significant input to policies relating to contract farming and rural development, particularly in providing applicable frameworks of contract farming and challenges in existing trends.

On behalf of all the partners, please find the online version of the book, which was printed in limitted copies, HERE.

21 Nov 2018
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Agricultural Innovators in Ethiopia – a publication from 2016

Sticky Post By On 21 November 2018

This is a publication done in 2016 entitled “Agricultural Innovators in Ethiopia: Lessons from the Food Security and Rural Entrepreneirship Innovation Fund”

As a secretariate of AgriProFocus Ethiopia, F&S has been involving in the FSRE Fund program, financed by Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Addis and managed by ICCO Cooperation. Our involvement was mainly in the linking and learning component of the program which focuses in building the capacity of agricultural innovators and creating linkages among topics and value chains.

At the end of the program, by the end of 2016, we published the book mentioned above, depicting the main narratives of the program as well as informative stories of innovators.

The book can be downloaded HERE.

07 Nov 2018
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Action Research on Cooperatives’ practices at Ardaita College

Sticky Post By On 7 November 2018

F&S has been involved in the Nuffic’s Niche project supporting Ardaita College in different areas, including curriculum development and gender mainstreaming.

As part of the project, teachers of Ardaita College are conducting three Action Researches on existing trends of cooperatives. The focus area of their researches are gender, accountancy, and marketing practices of cooperatives. A scholar of applied science from Aeres University of the Netherlands, Professor Frank de Jong, in collaboration with F&S staffs in Addis, has been supporting the teachers on their researches since 2017. Our role in this particular action was helping the teacher-researchers with data collection, providing them digital data collection tools and related techniques.

Last week, we were in Ardaita with Professor Frank working with the teachers on data analysis and documentations.

16 Jul 2018
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Meet our new General Manager: Mr. Assegid Gedamu

Sticky Post By On 16 July 2018

As of June 11, 2018, Mr. Assegid Gedamu has replaced Mrs. Annet Witteveen, as General Manager of Fair and Sustainable Ethiopia. Assegid has long years of experience in the consultancy and development sector, in Ethiopia and East Africa, among others, and we are very pleased to announce his arrival. Let’s introduce our new General Manager as follows:

Assegid T. Gedamu – a seasoned development practitioner and consultant, with valuable experience in sustainable rural development programs. His engagement on freelance consultancy, among others, encompasses – Project management, Organizational/thematic Capacity development, SMEs, and Participatory community/youth development. Since 2008, Assegid has conducted numerous studies, evaluation assignments, and program management support to several international and national organizations. Multidisciplinary in approach, he believes that structural issues (in socio political-economic context) often play a crucial role in advancing human development, not just through technical solutions. He holds a BSc in forestry/NRM and M.A. in rural development; an advanced diploma in Enterprise development through Value chains; as well as professional certificates in contemporary development topics. He’s a certified International Project Manager. Assegid has an extensive experience & wide exposure in short-term consultancy works as well as facilitated a number of training workshops in over 10 countries, particularly in eastern and southern part of Africa. Assegid is currently serving as General Manager for Fair & Sustainable Consulting (Ethiopia), and he lives in Addis Ababa with his family.

16 Jul 2018
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Best Wishes to Annet, former GM of F&S Ethiopia

Sticky Post By On 16 July 2018

Last month, we organized a farewell party for Mrs. Annet Witteveen, inviting around 30 partners and friends of Fair and Sustainable Ethiopia (F&S). Annet joined F&S in 2015, and as of June 11, she has left our organization to pursue her career in Tanzania. Annet has made a great contribution to our organization, and we wish her good luck in her new endeavor. Annet is replaced by Mr. Assegid Gedamu. Assegid has long years of experience in the consultancy and development sector, in Ethiopia and East Africa, among others, and we are very pleased to announce his arrival.