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Call for experts: building resilient food systems, HLPE

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Advertiser's description (via CFS)

The HLPE-FSN is looking for ad hoc experts to draft the report on “Building resilient food systems”, to be launched in June 2025. The report will provide recommendations to the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS)' workstream of the same title under the focus area: “Fostering resilience of agriculture and food systems to shocks and stresses".

The selected experts will be responsible to contribute, according to the agreed division of responsibilities and disciplinary background as guided by the team leader, to the preparation of the report and the submission of its successive drafts and deliverables, in close collaboration with the HLPE-FSN Steering Committee, made up of 15 world-renowned scientists in a variety of food security and nutrition related fields, and in coordination with the HLPE-FSN Secretariat. 

Selected experts will have the opportunity to serve as co-authors of the HLPE-FSN flagship report and actively participate in the CFS public debate focused on resilience, as integral members of the HLPE-FSN initiative. Additionally, they may engage in various public events and publications, providing opportunities for broader dissemination of their expertise and insights, should they desire and circumstances allow. 

Selected experts will participate in the work of the HLPE-FSN in their individual capacities, not as representatives of their respective governments, institutions or organizations. 

The HLPE-FSN Steering Committee will ensure that the final composition of the report's drafting team ensures diversity of required scientific competencies, as well as the best possible age, gender and geographical representation balance, as well as a compact and functional team. The competencies available within the team will be complemented by those available within the HLPE-FSN Steering Committee. It is expected that two face-to-face or hybrid meetings of three days each will be organized during the elaboration of the report, complemented by weekly or bi-weekly virtual meetings. Assignments are unremunerated, although all related expenses will be covered by the HLPE-FSN Secretariat. 

Among the specific responsibilities of selected experts are the following: 

  • participate in virtual and face-to-face project team meetings; 
  • provide timely written inputs and other contributions to the successive drafts of the HLPE-FSN report; 
  • contribute to addressing comments received at different stages of the report preparation and undertake revisions of the report as directed by the Team Leader; 
  • contribute to the presentation of the report in different events and fora and contribute to further outreach and dissemination; and 
  • follow the guidelines of the HLPE-FSN working processes, which ensure legitimacy among stakeholders and a high degree of scientific quality, involving broad stakeholder consultations and the incorporation of different forms of knowledge and expertise, as well as a rigorous scientific peer-review process. 

For more detailed information on the HLPE-FSN report  process, please consult the HLPE-FSN procedures. 

Requirements 

Candidates will need to be renowned scientists and experts in food security and nutrition. Among specific technical areas that may be represented in the team are the following: 

  • Food Security:
  • Nutrition;
  • Food systems and food supply chains;
  • Governance;
  • Sociology;
  • Health and nutrition;
  • Economics;
  • Political sciences;
  • Gender analysis;
  • Human rights (especially the right to food);
  • Statistics;
  • Environmental sciences;
  • Emergencies, and
  • One Health.

Candidates should possess the following:

  • ability to work well in diverse and remote teams;
  • excellent oral and written communication skills  in English, especially to policy audiences;
  • interpersonal skills and ability to work in teams;
  • ability to work under pressure and respect tight deadlines; and
  • previous experience in writing reports and documents to inform food security and nutrition policy.

Candidates must note that the time commitment to the project is expected to be around 10 percent equivalent full time, with peak periods at critical stages of the report preparation process. Young experts are encouraged to apply. 

Apply here