Reports to: Scientist – Seed System Specialist/Country Coordinator - Pakistan

Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Purpose of the position

The purpose of the Agricultural Economist is to provide economic analysis and policy support to improve equitable access, efficient use, and affordability of fertilizers for smallholder farmers in Pakistan. The consultant will contribute to evidence-based decision-making by analyzing fertilizer markets, pricing structures, subsidy mechanisms, and farm-level impacts of fertilizer use on productivity and incomes. The Agricultural Economist will assess supply chains, demand trends, and constraints affecting fertilizer availability, and will evaluate the economic effectiveness of existing fertilizer policies and programs. The consultant will also support the design of farmer-centered interventions, promote sustainable input use, and strengthen advocacy for farmers’ rights to fair access to quality fertilizers.

Through close coordination with government stakeholders, private sector actors, and farming communities, the Agricultural Economist will help ensure that project strategies are economically viable, socially inclusive, and aligned with national agricultural development goals.

About ICARDA                                                                                                      

The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR. ICARDA’s mission is to reduce poverty, enhance food, water, and nutritional security, as well as environmental health in the face of global challenges including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development and capacity development that consider gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organization, other CGIAR Research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. For more information: www.icarda.org.

Main responsibilities           

·        Conduct comprehensive benefit: cost analyses (CBA) of selected agricultural technologies, including different types of fertilizer interventions.

·        Assess both direct economic effects (e.g., productivity and yield improvements) and indirect impacts (e.g., labor changes, resource efficiency).

·        Evaluate the return on investment in new technologies, considering factors like input costs (fertilizers, pesticides, water, labor) and market prices.

·        Identify pathways (e.g., commercial, public sector) and action plans to upscale proven innovations, such as those of the Fertilize Right Pakistan Project. 

·        Develop marketing plans for specific products like biofertilizers by emphasizing the commercial advantages, highlighting cost-effectiveness, and addressing the advantage of soil health.

·        Identifying and Engaging Partners: Defining the roles of key actors in the innovation network, such as researchers, extension agents, agribusinesses, and government agencies.

·        Analyse farm-level data to determine existing profitability, productivity gaps, and constraints to technology adoption.

·        Design and implement surveys, interviews, and field assessments to collect both quantitative and qualitative data from farmers and stakeholders.

·        Understand the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) of the Fertilizer Right Project (FRP), and all associated indicators, and develop a PMP for FRP Pakistan.

·        Plan, operationalize, and implement the M&E system for the FRP project in collaboration with implementing partners and other team members, including the ICARDA team

·        Identify and list project result-level indicators based on the activities and develop templates for data collection of the project-level indicators.

·        Analyze market trends, supply chains, and pricing mechanisms to identify opportunities and challenges, and the introduction of innovation in the fertilizer sector.

·        Provide technical assistance and capacity-building support to relevant stakeholders on agricultural economics concepts and tools.

·        Utilize appropriate methodologies such as econometric models, Experimental/Quasi-Experimental Methods (ESM), and value chain analysis to ensure rigorous evaluation.

·        Any other task assigned by the supervisor, including data compilation, production statistics, and report preparation.

Requirements

Education, qualifications, and experience

·        Master's or PhD in Agricultural Economics, Economics, Agribusiness, or a related field.

·        Young, energetic career-oriented with proven professional experience (e.g., minimum 5-7 years) in agricultural economics, research, or development projects.

·        Demonstrated experience in economic analysis, benefit-cost analysis, and impact assessment of agricultural interventions.

·        Experience with data collection, statistical analysis software, and quantitative/qualitative methodologies.

·        Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.

·        Ability to work with diverse stakeholders and convey complex information clearly

·        Awareness of econometric software e.g., R, Stata, or Python, MATLAB, and SPSS, etc.

Benefits

Terms of appointment, salary, and benefits
This is a local consultancy contract, and only Pakistani nationals may be eligible to apply for this consultancy engagement.

The successful candidate will be offered a 11-month consultancy contract on a full-time basis. The incumbent will be provided with an honorarium based on the contract deliverables.

Please be advised that ICARDA accepts applications only in English, as per the organization's standard communication language. Applications in other languages will not be considered. 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.