Climate change economist

Job Description
- GIAHS Agro-economic Specialist (2601954)

Job Description
CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
- VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT : 2601954 GIAHS Agro-economic Specialist Job Posting 17/Sep/2026 Closure Date 08/Oct/2026, 9:59:00 PM Organizational Unit : OCB
- Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment

Job Type
Non-staff opportunities Type of Requisition : Consultant Primary Location Italy-Rome Duration : Up to 6 months Post Number : N/A IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture. Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply; Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations. Organizational Setting The Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) works to ensure that countries and stakeholders respond to the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. OCB provides a cross organizational coordination role on these issues and is the focal point to major multilateral environmental agreements including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conferences (UNFCCC), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The Office also assists FAO Members in their responses towards the interlinked challenges of food security, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation including through facilitating access to climate and environmental financing such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). In addition, OCB hosts the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme, the Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture as well as FAO’s work on environmental safeguards and leads the Programme Priority Areas on Climate Change (PPA BE1) and Bioeconomy for Sustainable Food and Agriculture (PPA BE2). The GIAHS Secretariat serves as the operational unit of FAO’s Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme. It provides guidance and technical support to FAO Members in developing and submitting GIAHS proposals and implementing follow-up activities for designated sites. The Secretariat also liaises with governments and national and international organizations to establish strategic partnerships that support the Programme’s continued development and geographical expansion. The position ‘GIAHS Agro-economic Specialist’ is in the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Secretariat, in FAO Headquarters in Rome. Reporting Lines The incumbent will report to the Senior Coordinator of the GIAHS Secretariat. Technical Focus Support the GIAHS Secretariat in developing practical tools, a comprehensive framework and technical guidelines for the branding, informative labelling, marketing and commercialization of products originating from GIAHS sites. Tasks and responsibilities Conduct consultations and interviews with relevant stakeholders, national institutions, GIAHS communities and members of the Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) to collect data and information on value addition and the branding, labelling, marketing and commercialization of GIAHS products. Consult representatives of organizations working on natural and cultural heritage—including UNESCO, ICOMOS, IUCN and UN Tourism—to gather and analyse relevant data, experiences, methodologies and good practices that could be considered in the branding, labelling, marketing and commercialization of GIAHS products. Build on and complete the literature review and assessment of relevant technical documents and reports initiated by the previous consultant. Complete the collection, processing and analysis of data from GIAHS sites to map the current status of the branding, labelling, marketing and commercialization of products originating from these sites. Complete the analysis of data from GIAHS sites and revise and strengthen the previous consultant’s draft report on the economic, institutional and policy measures required to ensure the long-term sustainability of GIAHS systems. Build on the pre