Description of the services to be provided:
Component 1 aims to develop policy and regulatory instruments to scale up sustainable soil management and biodiversity restoration in the Altiplano. The contractor will be responsible for ensuring the achievement of Outcome Indicator 1.1, that includes the following strategic activities: 1) strengthening the consolidation of the Denomination of Origin (DO) for Royal Quinoa from the Altiplano. Activities includes i) ensuring the process of obtaining the DO Seal for quinoa products and byproducts (SENAPI certificate), ii) developing the quinoa real traceability system, iii) quinoa real information platform, iii) strengthening the functioning of the DO Regulatory Committee, and iv) enhancing the positioning of the "Quinua Real" DO in international markets (e.g. European, MERCOSUR, CAN markets); 2) the formulation and readiness implementation of the "Strategy and Action Plan for the Restoration of Degraded Lands and Critical Ecosystems of the Altiplano (Potosí, Oruro, and La Paz)". Both strategic activities will be reported as two policy-regulatory instruments contributing also to the Outcome Indicator 1 of SUAGRI Project-
Controbution to the fulfilment of the output indicators for components 3 and 4 of SUAGRI. Component 3 aims to facilitate access to public and private financial instruments to farmer organizations for implementing resilient soil management practices and technologies for soil and biodiversity restoration, and to scale up resilient agricultural practices for agricultural value chains in the Altiplano (ej. quinoa, cañahua, amaranth, tarwi, camelids, native potatoes, barley, etc). The contractor must ensure that subnational governments (GADs and GAMs) and national sectoral programs (e.g., EMPODERAR, APROCAM, PRORECA, IPDSA, etc.) regularly allocate budgets for the implementation of soil restoration and resilient agriculture practices into the Subnational Development Plans (PADs) and specifically into the annual investment plans (POA 2027, 2028 and 2029). The contractor shall provide technical assistance to farmer organizations to formulate bankable proposals and, at the same time, advise producers, farmer associations, MSMEs, grassroots organizations and private agricultural sector to prepare funding proposal for private financial sources aimed to improve resilient agricultural production and restore soil health. Advise and training shall be provided to producer organizations in the development of agricultural business models to be submitted for calls for proposals, startup accelerators, project incubators, and other private financing mechanisms (e.g., applications for agricultural credit and green credit from financial institutions). Finally, the private agricultural sector (e.g. Andean Valley, Irupana, SAITE; Jacha Inti, Orkidea Andina, Samiri, etc.) shall be supported on preparing projects proposals to strengthen strategic value chains in the Altiplano (using GIZ idpp or iEPW mechanisms). To support the strategic actions described above grants should be provided to national NGOs (e.g., CIPCA, PNS, ADEMA; Probioma, IPC; Agua Sustentable, Practical Action, ADEMA, Caritas, CONAPQUIBOL, ANAPQUI, and others) and foundations (PROINPA, AGRECOL) to scale up sustainable soil management across the project intervention area.
Component 4 aims to increase the bio-inputs supply to contribute to improve crop yields in the Altiplano. The contractor shall backstop research institutions (e.g., IPC; PROINPA; ECOTOP, PROBIOMA, universities) in the development and scaling up of innovations for bioinputs production from sustainable biomass sources, advise producers organizations, MSMEs, and the private sector (e.g., CONAPQUIBOL, ANAPQUI, CECAOT, etc.) on developing and implementing business models for bioinputs production that contribute to improving soil health on productive farms. Capacities of rural youth and women must be strengthened on conservation, production, propagation, and dissemination of native crop seeds and native species (shrubs and forage) that are relevant for ecosystem restoration (e.g., high-Andean wetlands and grasslands).
Milestones of Work Package 1:
- Milestone 2: Strategy and Action Plan for the Restoration of Critical Lands and Ecosystems in the Altiplano
- Milestone 1: Regulatory Committee of the "Quinua Real" Denomination of Origin strengthened.
- Milestone 3: 50 funding proposal developed of which 30 approved proposals, for the implementation of innovative soil restoration and resilient agricultural practices, submitted by individual farmers, producer organizations, community-based enterprises, cooperatives, private sector
- Milestone 4: producers (500) and technical advisors (50) with strengthened capacities on soil restoration and resilient agricultural practices through training programs developed by educational institutions, NGOs and/or academia
- Milestone 5: soil health on productive farms monitored within productive areas prioritized
Milestones of Work Package 2
- Milestone 6: At least 3 innovations on bioinput production developed and scaled up with the support of research institutes in the Altiplano
- Milestone 7: At least 10 business models developed and scaled up by micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
- Milestone 8: propagation and reintroduction of native plant species (biological practices) scaled up as effective land (wetlands and grasslands) restoration practices led by rural youth and women;
- Milestone 9: Producers (500) and technical advisors (50) with strengthened capacities on integrate bioinputs management through training programs developed by educational institutions, NGOs and/or academia
- Milestone 10: soil health improvement and native biodiversity restoration monitored on critical ecosystems and productive areas