Farmer Field Officer at Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT)

Job Description

Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT) is a not-for-profit organization established in Kenya in by the Biovision Foundation for ecological development in Switzerland and supported by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Nairobi. The Trust’s goal is to alleviate poverty and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Kenya and other African countries through supporting dissemination of information and knowledge on appropriate technology to improve human, animal, plant, and environmental health. Job Purpose: The overall purpose of this job is to contribute to the promotion of ecological sustainable agricultural practices and technologies through participatory, market-oriented approaches to meet the needs of smallholder farmers while staying relevant to the context of the project.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Establish and update database of farmers being (currently submitted monthly via Kobo Collect) reached through FCP activities. Carry out farmer trainings to farmer community groups to provide relevant knowledge and skills development on ecological sustainable agriculture practices and technologies, based on the selected priority value chains.  Establishing, preparing and maintaining demonstration plots for learning purposes to promote the adoption of organic and ecologically sustainable farming methodologies. Participate with IEC materials in field days, agriculture shows and exhibitions. Organize individual farm visits and carryout follow ups to monitor the progress and any improvements. Plan for community-based exchange visits to learn new technologies from other farmers; leverage on such platforms to sensitize the public on the BvAT’s mandate. Respond to farmers’ requests/issues on any challenges they are facing by providing timely advice and feedback based on the nature of problem.  Train school children from participating schools on organic agriculture and agroecology.  Establish partnerships with like-minded, faith-based organizations, NGOs and the county government and community-based organizations. Contribute to content development to the TOF magazine, TOF radio and Infonet reference material to increase awareness on organic farming and importance of environment conservation.  Timely preparation of monthly workplans in the KoboCollect platform.  Undertake daily update of field activities and compile monthly reports in a timely manner and submit to the Outreach Manager. Record and compile articles and success stories from the farmers/beneficiaries. Complete in a timely manner staff appraisal with the Farmer Field Assistants in line with BvAT’s Appraisal system. Any other responsibilities that may be assigned by the supervisor from time to time.

Working Relationships:

Internal Relationships: Outreach Project Officer and Outreach Manager. External Relationships: Ministry of Agriculture, County Government departments, local Chiefs and leaders, and Partners in the agricultural sector.

Requirements

Required Qualifications:

Degree in either organic agriculture, agricultural extension, rural development, crop production, livestock development, community development or any other closely related discipline in agriculture Minimum of at least 3 years of relevant experience. A certificate in project management/ monitoring and evaluation will be an added advantage.

Required Skills and Competencies:

Technical Skills

Knowledge in organic agriculture Report writing skills. Data collection skills Ability to network and build partnerships. Monitoring and evaluation Networking

Behavioural Skills

Good communication skill Ability to work with minimal supervision. Self-discipline Flexibility Creativity