CONSULTANCY SERVICE IN FACILITATING COLLECTIVE ACTION IN MITIGATING MIS-USE OF AGRO-CHEMICALS IN THE APICULTURE DEVELOPMENT AREAS

Topic:  Facilitating collective action in mitigating misuse of agrochemicals in apiculture development sites of the Amhara Region through targeted publicity, selective training, experience sharing and sensitization of law enforcement agencies

1.  BACKGROUND

Beekeeping is a source of decent income and livelihoods support for millions of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. It has potential to be expanded and improved for much greater economic benefit and environmental services through delivery of appropriate technologies, technical services, and market linkages. However, the worsening situation with indiscriminate application of various agro-chemicals including those that are banned in Ethiopia, has severely constrained further developments. In fact, some of the traditionally major honey and beeswax producing areas of the country have experienced dramatic sudden losses of honeybee colonies and slumps in volumes of honey harvests due to the rapidly worsening indiscriminate application of agro-chemicals to control weeds, crop pests and diseases.

The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), through its grassroot level projects, is employing a diverse range of scientific knowledge and research-based recommendations in its development projects. Moreover, icipe operates through different impact pathways, employing partnerships with different agencies across the public and private sectors at all levels under the YESH and the EIF Honey Trade projects.

The project is actively working with more than 10 thousand men and women youth beekeeping development beneficiaries (who have been supported to adopt improved and market-oriented beekeeping) stretched in 12 project implementation woredas found in three zones (East Gojjam, Awi and West Gojjam zones) of the Amhara region where a total of functional 12 hive products processing and marketing centers (8 by EIF and 4 by YESH projects) are established and organized. Moreover, the extensive bee forage development effort has been done to support environmental rehabilitation, help the honeybee colonies to get less chance of getting poisoned with misused agrochemicals, and stretch their produce towards further commercialization.

An outstanding study result, describing the effect of indiscriminate pesticide application in the Amhara region, has been produced by the joint efforts exerted by ICIPE, BDU and others so far. Though nothing has been implemented due to lack of attention, (1) creating awareness on the negative impacts of agrochemicals on smallholder agriculture to the farming community and responsible stakeholders; (2) enforcing applicable policies and legal frameworks for safe application of agrochemicals; (3) combining enforcement of working laws with awareness creation and trainings to reduce agrochemical use and its effects; (4) encouraging the use of IPM and biocontrol strategies against pests; and (5) encouraging the activation of kebele-level community taskforces against mis-and-overuse of agrochemicals have been the key recommendations suggested for further actions which thus need immediate interventions. At this point, the fact that the request made by the regional project steering committee to facilitate the collective actions and/or efforts from various stakeholders in the region, YESH and EIF Honey Market projects took this initiative to take the next steps in response to the technical assistance and facilitations by key partnering institutions.

Beekeeping stabilizes and protects the fragile environment, conserve natural resources and increase agricultural production from pollination services (Addi et al., 2006; Jacobs et al., 2006; MoARD, 2007). With its over 1.3 million honeybee colonies contributing >25% of total national production (CSA, 2019), beekeeping is a well-established practice in Amhara region. Despite the great potential in the region, the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals has continued to be one of the most important threats to the sector (Kebede et al., 2008; Ejigu et al., 2009; Tassew and Wurzinger, 2016).

The effect of agrochemicals is known to cause various disorders to the life of the honeybees, affecting quality and quantity of bee products produced. Since both beekeeping and non-beekeeping farmers are extensively using agrochemicals against weeds, crop pests and diseases, its indiscriminate use and associated negative consequences have increased over recent years which in turn, has resulted in a long-term biodiversity degradation, food insecurity and human health problems (Kebede et al., 2008; Ejigu et al., 2009; Tassew and Wurzinger, 2016). Though various intervention efforts have been exerted so far worldwide to reverse these negative consequences, the significant ignorance received from both parties, it has remained with no positive results (Greenpeace International, 2013). However, national proclamations and regulations outlined to protect environmental health through appropriate and responsible use of agrochemicals are yet to be fully implemented for measurable positive results. Hence, what needs to happen is extensive public awareness on the dangers posed by agrochemicals, facilitated collective actions from all concerned public and non-government institutions, then drawing lessons from good practices, and sensitization of law enforcement agencies on the urgent needs to take meaningful technical and strategic actions to curb consequences created by mis-and-over use of agrochemicals on honeybee, human and environmental health issues. This effort will create a chance of integrated supports to model beekeeping sites to make them appropriate model sites for experience sharing and training pilot sites for collective actions.

2.    OBJECTIVE (S)

Purpose of this assignment is to support the EIF Project Manager in facilitating collective action from all key public and non-governmental stakeholders of the beekeeping sub-sector in the region at region, zone and woreda levels through meeting the following objectives:

• Facilitating targeted public awareness on the multi-directional effect of misused agrochemicals
• Conducting selective training and facilitating sensitization of staff of partner institutions towards implementation and enforcements of the working lawful documents
• Demonstrating good practices and best lessons at model sites to minimize the negative impacts of misused agrochemicals on honeybee colonies and their products and use them as exchange visit medias.
• Contributing to the regional and national level policy dialogues with the view to come up with an applicable and tested strategy development for better implementations at the grassroot levels.

3.  KEY DELIVERABLES

The key deliverables are listed below:

     a)  Pursue to get an official letter from the regional government and circulate to all responsible stakeholders to push the enforcements of the laws against misuse of agrochemicals and proper use of apiculture resources.

     b)  Compile, review and re-synthesize appropriate extension and training materials targeting farmers.

     c) Prepare brochures, flyers, and posters for wide communication to the public about the dangers associated with indiscriminate use of agrochemicals.

     d) Organize and provide at least 4 training workshops to selected extension and support staff at woreda and zonal levels.

     e) Organize and provide 6 training workshops and awareness creation sessions among beekeepers, and non-beekeepers on the importance of agrochemicals’ safe use and the need for abiding undesirable practices.

      f) Identify and promote a model site of exemplary practice in responsible agrochemical application and conduct at least 3 exchange visits as a scale-up and scale-out strategy.

     g)  Prepare at least one scientific article on this subject using the available information and if necessary, using additional data to be generated from project areas.

     h)  Prepare a technical report with sets of actionable recommendations to be submitted to the regional parliament supporting the initiation of collective action by all concerned bodies at the region level.

Academic qualification:  The consultant shall have a Master of Science degree or above in Animal Sciences, Apiculture, Chemistry, Pesticides, Entomology or related fields. Participation in further trainings in apiculture, will be an advantage

Professional experience: Good hands-on experience in research and development work in apiculture, and scientific communication are essential. Experience in preparation of training, extension and communication materials and research experience on issues related to indiscriminate application of agrochemicals are desirable. Work experience in the project area on beekeeping development would be an advantage.

TIME FRAME

Four months period which may be renewed upon satisfactory performance.

SUPERVISOR

The consultant shall report to the Regional Project Manager and Program Coordinator during the defined service period.

DUTY STATION

The consultant will be based in Bahir Dar but will have travels to project Woredas in East Gojjam, West Gojjam and Awi zones of the Amhara region.