Company Profile

Established in 2005, Fairtrade Africa is the umbrella organization representing Fairtrade certified producers in Africa and is a member of Fairtrade International (FI). FTA aims to effectively represent producers within the International Fairtrade system and to contribute to the livelihood improvement of African and Middle Eastern producers by increasing access to markets. Established in 2005, FTA directs policy and strategic development of the organization, including its Secretariat in Nairobi and the four (4) regional offices. FTA works within the Fairtrade system to support over 1,055,000 farmers and workers in over 520 producer organizations spread over 33 countries to access better prices, decent working conditions, and fairer terms of trade

Fairtrade Africa is owned by its members, who are African producer organizations certified against international Fairtrade Standards producing traditional export commodities such as coffee, cocoa, tea, cut flowers, cane sugar, wine, cotton, bananas, mango, pineapples and non-traditional commodities including shea butter, rooibos tea, vegetables and fresh and dry fruits. Fairtrade Africa is made up of both Small Producer Organizations (SPOs) and Hired Labour Organizations (HLO). In HLOs, the focus is on supporting companies that employ hired labour to supply better working conditions for their workers while in SPOs the focus is on members who are smallholders who run their farms mainly using their own and their family labour.

Fairtrade Africa’s interventions are guided by the Fairtrade Theory of Change which visually expresses how these ultimately lead to global Fairtrade Goals. You can read more about FTA at www.fairtradeafrica.net

Job Description

TERMS OF REFERENCE- GEO SPATIAL DATA ANALYSTS—GHANA & SIERRA LEONE 

Fairtrade works with 1.3 million coffee and cocoa producers associated with 1,031 producer organisations across 19 countries. Our programme's goal is for these producers to secure a fair transition toward climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods. It builds on Fairtrade's commitment to the cocoa and coffee sectors to foster innovative partnerships, embrace agroecological transitions, and achieve living income. Central to the programme's objectives are the conservation of agricultural forest lands, ensuring economic sustainability for producers, and increasing trade transparency amidst the challenges posed by climate change. Producer Organisations (POs) are indispensable entities in the global agricultural landscape, crucial for uplifting the livelihoods of countless smallholder farmers in rural communities worldwide. They facilitate access to markets and developmental resources that enable smallholder families to enhance the productivity and quality of their cocoa and coffee productions. Fairtrade certification further supports these farmer organisations by bolstering their bargaining power to demand equitable payments for their sustainably produced goods.

New international market regulations, particularly the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), have immediate implications for smallholder cocoa and coffee producers. Starting from 31st December 2025 companies doing business in the EU will need to comply with the requirements of the EUDR, which aims to prevent agricultural products causing deforestation or forest degradation from being sold in the EU. In countries with inadequate infrastructure, limited traceability and a significant number of small-scale farmers, the industry is expected to face great challenges in meeting the requirements of EUDR. Without proactive buyers' support, smallholders lacking resources to provide the necessary data for EUDR compliance face potential market exclusion, and thus resulting in poverty and economic migration risks. To ensure the inclusion of smallholder farmers, companies must focus on actively forming partnerships and providing financial investments and support on the ground.

Within the framework of the European Union's Green Deal, sweeping regulatory shifts are currently underway. For instance, as part of this overarching commitment, the EU has introduced the EU Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR). The EU DR would be effective 31st December 2025, aims to curb the EU market's impact on deforestation, forest degradation, and biodiversity loss. It targets seven key commodities — cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya, and wood — to ensure they do not originate from recently deforested areas or contribute to forest degradation. The legislation adopts the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) definition of a forest, encompassing land exceeding o.5 hectares with trees surpassing 5 meters in height and a canopy cover exceeding 10 %. As outlined in the legislation, deforestation is defined as "the transformation of forested areas into agricultural land, whether initiated by human activity or occurring naturally." Furthermore, it stipulates that products originating from land converted from forests to agricultural use after the 31st of December 2020 are prohibited from entering the market. Within this framework, agroforestry systems are classified as agricultural land use. While managing shade trees within agroforestry systems does not constitute deforestation, converting natural forests into agroforestry systems does fall under this definition.

Considering the far-reaching implications of non-compliance with the EUDR, it has become imperative that Fairtrade Producer Organizations and supply chains are supported to be prepared for full compliance.

SCOPE OF ASSIGNMENT
Fairtrade Africa seeks the services of qualified data analysts conversant with geospatial analytical approaches to enhance the preparedness of small Producer Organisations (SPOs) in navigating the complexities of small-scale farming by increasing their ability to fulfil high-value market demands and comply with new regulations, secure access to dependable data, adeptly manage digital tools, and attain comprehensive information regarding regulatory frameworks.

There are a total of 28 targeted producer organisations in Ghana and Sierra Leone.

Specifically, the data analysts will be required to execute the following.

1. Coordinate with Fairtrade Africa field staff to ensure small producer organisations in coffee and cocoa-producing countries conduct the geo data collection process in accordance with EUDR provisions and applicable cocoa and coffee standards requirements.
2. Review data submitted by producer organisations to ensure conformity to the prescribed formats, tools/software (e.g., FairInsight), and guidance provided by Fairtrade International.
3. Oversee the small producer organisations' data cleaning and submission process and protocols to Fairtrade International.
4. Attend to data assurance process, needs and review following feedback from Fairtrade International and appointed service provider (SatelIigence) while at the same time advising the small producer organisations in their efforts to collect and analyse deforestation monitoring data to identify areas of concern and potential risks.
5. Build the capacity of FTA staff and small producer organisations to capture and utilise geo data effectively to manage deforestation alerts and respond to identified risks.
6. Periodically, provide updates on the small producer organisation's geo data submission status to Fairtrade International, the challenges faced, and the support needed.

DELIVERABLES

1. Technical assistance and support framework translating in SPOs compliance to EUDR requirements.
2. Complete data sets — geo locations point data and polygon maps for prioritised small producer organisations.
3. Monthly updates on the EUDR compliance status based on focus origin and recommendations to address non-conformances.

Required Skills or Experience

EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATION
We seek experienced, motivated individuals to join our team as geospatial data analysts. As part of our team, you will work alongside field staff supporting cocoa and coffee SPOs and other Fairtrade system professionals to manage geolocation databases and tools. At a minimum, you should possess the following:

• Bachelor's degree in Geography, Planning, Geomatic Science, Geographical Information Systems, Spatial analysis or a related field
• Demonstrable skills with GIS software database administration, among others
• Prior experience with land planning and mapping projects, geospatial data gathering and analysis, and map and database production.
• A collaborative and creative personality, able to contribute to large, team-based projects
• At least three (3) years of experience working with land use and mapping projects focusing on agricultural value chains is highly desirable.
• At least three (3) years of experience operating in GIS-related projects in low-income settings.
• Possess strong analytical skills and experience in handling large data sets.

COMPETENCIES/KNOWLEDGE

• Knowledge and experience in spatial data science
• Experience leading scoping, user testing, and training for technology products
• Ability to meet high scientific standards.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to translate spatial data into actionable insights.
• Proven ability to work with internal and external stakeholders at multiple levels, including providing technical support and capacity building and establishing/managing external partnerships
• The candidate must be fluent in English