Job Description
Job Description
TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) URBAN FUTURES PROGRAMME CONDUCTING RESEARCH ON POLICIES FOR GREEN BUSINESS, CLIMATE AND FOOD SYSTEMS AND SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AND TECHNOLOGIES THAT SUPPORT SMART FARMING , AGROECOLOGY AND CLIMATE RESILIENT PRACTICES
A. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
Urban food systems in Africa are facing increasing pressure from rapid urbanisation, climate change, food insecurity, economic vulnerability and disruptions across food value chains. As urban populations continue to grow, cities and surrounding peri-urban areas are becoming increasingly important to food production, distribution and consumption. However, these systems remain vulnerable to climate-related shocks, resource constraints, market disruptions and weaknesses in policy and institutional coordination. Strengthening the resilience and sustainability of urban food systems therefore requires approaches that combine climate-resilient agricultural practices, supportive policy and regulatory frameworks, innovation and inclusive participation.
Young people are particularly important to this transition. Youth represent a significant source of innovation, entrepreneurship and labour within emerging food systems and green economies. However, their effective participation is often constrained by limited access to land, finance, technology, markets, information and institutional support. Youth are also frequently underrepresented in decision-making processes that shape food systems, agricultural development and climate-related policies. These constraints limit their ability to participate meaningfully in climate-smart agriculture, agroecological production and green enterprise development.
At the same time, climate change is increasing the need for more sustainable and resilient approaches to food production. Climate-smart agriculture, agroecology, sustainable urban farming and appropriate agricultural technologies offer opportunities to improve productivity while strengthening environmental resilience and livelihoods. Across Zimbabwe and Zambia, farmers and young entrepreneurs are already experimenting with a range of practices and technologies, including improved irrigation, climate-smart seeds, digital agriculture solutions and soil-health management approaches. However, there is a need to better understand the extent to which these approaches are being adopted, their environmental, social and economic benefits, the barriers to their uptake, and the conditions required for them to be scaled. The African Union's CAADP Strategy and Action Plan for 2026–2035 places building resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, inclusive livelihoods and strengthened agrifood governance among its strategic priorities.
The enabling policy and regulatory environment is equally important. Policies governing food systems, climate action, agricultural production, youth economic participation and green enterprise development can either create opportunities or impose barriers for young people and other actors within urban and peri-urban food systems. While national, regional and global frameworks increasingly recognise the importance of climate resilience, youth participation and sustainable food systems, gaps may remain between policy commitments and their implementation at national, municipal and local levels. Issues relating to access to land, finance, markets, technology, institutional support and coordination can therefore affect the ability of youth-led enterprises and urban farmers to adopt and scale sustainable practices. Recent evidence from Zimbabwe, for example, identifies access to finance, land, technology, markets and technical support as important constraints to youth participation in agrifood systems.
It is against this context that the Africa Institute of Environmental Law (AIEL), through the Hivos Urban Futures Programme, seeks to generate evidence on the relationship between youth participation, sustainable food production, climate resilience and the enabling policy environment in Zimbabwe and Zambia. The research will focus on four Urban Futures cities, Mutare and Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, and Kitwe and Chongwe in Zambia, where changing urban food systems present both significant challenges and opportunities for innovation and youth engagement.
The assignment comprises two interrelated areas of research. The first will examine smart farming, agroecology and climate-resilient practices and technologies in urban and peri-urban food production. It will assess their adoption, applicability, environmental, social and economic benefits, barriers to uptake and potential for scaling, while documenting local knowledge, innovations and experiences from farmers, youth and other food-system actors. The second will examine the policy, legal, institutional and governance environment for green business, climate and food systems, with particular attention to how existing frameworks enable or constrain youth participation and youth-led green enterprise development.
Bringing these two areas of inquiry together will allow the research to examine not only what sustainable and climate-resilient practices and innovations exist, but also whether the surrounding policy, institutional and economic environment enables these approaches to be adopted and scaled. The research will therefore generate evidence-based recommendations to strengthen policy and institutional frameworks, improve support for youth-led food businesses and climate-resilient agriculture, and contribute to more inclusive, sustainable and resilient urban food systems in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Duties and Responsibilities
B. OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH STUDY B.1. Overall Objective
To generate evidence that contributes to more inclusive, climate-resilient and sustainable urban food systems in Zimbabwe and Zambia by examining youth participation, enabling policy and institutional environments, and the adoption and scalability of agroecological, climate-smart and innovative food production practices.
B.2 Research Streams
The research will be organised around two complementary research streams that address different but interconnected dimensions of urban and peri-urban food systems.
Research Stream 1: Smart Farming, Agroecology and Climate-Resilient Practices
This stream will examine sustainable agricultural practices, technologies and innovations that can strengthen climate resilience and sustainable food production in urban and peri-urban areas. It will focus on the extent of adoption, applicability, benefits, barriers, local innovations and potential for scaling, with particular attention to youth and urban farmers.
Specific objectives:
1. To assess the adoption and application of smart farming technologies, agroecological practices and other climate-resilient approaches among youth and urban and peri-urban farmers.
2. To examine the environmental, social and economic benefits and challenges associated with selected climate-smart and agroecological practices and technologies.
3. To identify the factors enabling or constraining the adoption, sustainability and scalability of climate-resilient farming practices and innovations.
4. To document local knowledge, innovations and promising models that can strengthen youth participation and sustainable food production in urban and peri-urban food systems.
Research Stream 2: Policies for Green Business, Climate and Food Systems
This stream will examine the policy, legal, institutional and governance environment influencing urban food systems, climate-resilient agriculture and youth-led green enterprise development in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Specific objectives:
1. To assess the policy, legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks governing urban food systems, climate action, youth economic participation and green enterprise development.
2. To examine how existing policies and institutional arrangements enable or constrain youth participation in urban food systems and youth-led green businesses.
3. To identify gaps and barriers relating to access to land, finance, markets, technology, information, infrastructure and institutional support for youth-led food and green enterprises.
C. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The research questions will be organised into four thematic areas. The themes provide a common analytical framework across the two research streams while allowing the research to examine both the practical realities of food production and the policy environment in which these activities take place.
Theme 1: Policy, Legal and Institutional Environment
This theme will examine whether existing policy and institutional frameworks create an enabling environment for sustainable urban food systems and meaningful youth participation.
1. To what extent do existing national, municipal, regional and global policy and regulatory frameworks enable or constrain youth participation in urban food systems and green enterprise development?
2. How effectively are relevant climate, food systems, agricultural and youth-development commitments translated into policy implementation at national and municipal levels?
3. What policy, legal, regulatory and institutional gaps affect the development of climate-resilient urban food systems and youth-led green enterprises?
4. How do institutional roles, coordination mechanisms and governance arrangements influence youth participation and sustainable food systems development?
Theme 2: Youth Participation, Access and Green Enterprise
This theme will examine the practical conditions that shape young people's participation in urban and peri-urban food systems.
1. What opportunities exist for young people to participate in urban and peri-urban food production, food value chains and green enterprises?
2. What barriers do young people face in accessing land, finance, markets, technology, information, skills and institutional support?
3. How do existing policies and support mechanisms influence the ability of youth-led food and green enterprises to start, operate and grow?
4. What forms of institutional, financial, technical or market support are most relevant to strengthening youth participation in climate-resilient food systems?
Theme 3: Climate-Resilient Practices, Technologies and Innovation
This theme will examine what practices and technologies are currently being used and their contribution to sustainable and climate-resilient food production.
1. To what extent are youth and urban and peri-urban farmers adopting smart farming technologies, agroecological practices and other climate-resilient approaches?
2. What types of climate-smart technologies, agroecological practices and local innovations are being used, and in what contexts?
3. What environmental, social and economic benefits and challenges are associated with these practices and technologies?
4. What factors enable or constrain their adoption, including affordability, knowledge, skills, infrastructure, access to inputs and technology, and institutional support?
Theme 4: Scalability, Sustainability and Policy Uptake
This theme will connect evidence from the first three areas to identify practices and policy approaches with potential for wider application.
1. Which climate-resilient farming practices, technologies, innovations and youth enterprise models demonstrate potential for replication or scaling?
2. What conditions are necessary to sustain and scale promising practices and innovations across urban and peri-urban food systems?
3. What lessons can be drawn from existing innovation hubs, youth-led initiatives, farmers and other actors regarding effective models for sustainable food production and youth participation?
4. What policy, financing, institutional and technical measures are required to support the uptake and scaling of promising practices and models?
5. What evidence-based policy and programme recommendations can strengthen inclusive, climate-resilient and sustainable urban food systems in Zimbabwe and Zambia?
Relationship between the Two Research Streams
The two streams are intended to be complementary rather than separate studies operating in isolation. Stream 1 will establish what practices, technologies and innovations are being used, how they perform and what determines their adoption and scalability. Stream 2 will examine whether the policy, legal, institutional and economic environment enables these practices and youth-led enterprises to develop and scale.
The research will therefore connect practice with policy: evidence from farmers, youth, entrepreneurs, innovation hubs and other food-system actors will inform the assessment of policy and institutional barriers, while the policy analysis will help explain the conditions required for promising practices and youth-led models to be sustained and scaled.
The combined evidence will inform practical recommendations for policy reform, institutional support, youth participation, climate resilience and sustainable urban food-system development in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
B. SCOPE OF WORK
The Consultant will conduct 2 interrelated researches exploring sustainable agricultural practices and technologies that support climate resilience in urban and peri-urban food production systems , assessing the impact of innovation hubs and; research on policies for green business , climate and food systems and analysing the policy and regulatory environment affecting youth participation in urban food systems and green enterprise development to generate evidence based recommendations that enhance policy frameworks supporting youth led food businesses and climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable urban food systems.
C. METHODOLOGY
The research will adopt a mixed-methods and participatory approach, combining desk review, policy and legal analysis, primary data collection and stakeholder engagement. The methodology will cover the two interrelated research streams and will be refined by the consultant during the inception phase.
1. Research on Smart Farming, Agroecology and Climate-Resilient Practices
The study will assess the adoption, application, benefits and scalability of smart farming technologies, agroecological practices and other climate-resilient approaches in urban and peri-urban food systems. This will involve:
• Mapping of climate-smart technologies and agroecological practices used by youth farmers and smallholders such as digital agriculture tools, improved irrigation systems, climate-smart seeds, and soil health management practices
• Reviewing available evidence on their environmental, social and economic benefits, including productivity, livelihoods, resource efficiency and climate resilience.
• Conducting appropriate primary data collection including, surveys, Key Informant Interviews (KII) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to understand adoption, barriers, costs, benefits and scalability. to the adoption of smart farming technologies Recommend models for improving youth uptake of digital agricultural solutions
• Identification of opportunities to increase youth engagement with digital agriculture solutions and climate-smart farming methods.
Qualifications and Experience
The consultant will provide supporting research documentation, including final data collection tools, cleaned datasets where applicable, and relevant analytical materials, as part of the final submission.
F. Qualifications and Experience
Lead consultant: A PhD or Master's in Law, Policy, Agricultural Economics and or Food systems with research experience in Agro ecology and climate smart agricultural practices , food systems innovation hubs and familiarity with Zimbabwe and Zambia Urban Food Systems legal and policy frameworks .
How to Apply
G. Submission of Proposals
Applicants are expected to submit an indicative budget with their Expression of Interest . Costs related to fieldwork will be covered by the Organisation. Interested applicants can submit Expression of Interest to procurementzw@gmail.com by 8 October 2026 .