Consultancy – Research Study to Profile Indigenous Plants of Zimbabwe that have Culinary, Nutrition, Health, Cosmetics and other Valuable uses: Indaba Agriculture Policy Research Institute
Deadline: 21 February 2020
About
The Zimbabwe Livelihoods and Food Security Programme’s (LFSP) Policy and Knowledge Management component is supporting agricultural transformation and growth in Zimbabwe through propping the government to build a policy and institutional environment that is conducive to private and public sector investments. In this regard, the LFSP policy influencing strategy is premised on generating a wealth of practice-based evidence critical for shaping other interventions and informing policy. Commissioning research and supporting studies to generate more evidence is one way the programme is providing evidence to influence various agriculture policies. The LFSP is a UKAID funded programme that is managed jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Palladium. The Indaba Agriculture Policy Research Institute (IAPRI) has been engaged the by the LFSP as a strategic technical partner in this endeavour.
Position Summary / Scope of work
A consultant to conduct a research study to profile and document selected indigenous plants of Zimbabwe, including their use for food and nutrition, cosmetics, medicine and other valuable uses and make policy recommendations on how Zimbabwe can commercialise these plants. The plants should be selected on the basis of the potential to deliver results mentioned above, i.e. those that could be sustainably commercialised to generate income for smallholders, domestic consumption and international trade, while offering consumers something of value
Purpose of Study
The purpose of the research study is to conduct a detailed study (including literature reviews and actual laboratory analysis where claims are not backed by tangible evidence) of selected indigenous plants (maximum 25) in Zimbabwe and profile these according to their: Scientific, indigenous / vernacular and English names (where available); Natural occurrence and growth patterns; Brief background on the local communities that use them; High resolution pictures of plant as it commonly occurs –including pictures of the parts that have promoted uses; Culinary, nutritional, medicinal (both humans and animals), cosmetic, spiritual and other uses; and how the above uses have been exploited to date, locally, regionally and internationally.
The purpose is to also consult with other researchers and key stakeholders in Zimbabwe – including Botanists, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, university professors and researchers, exports in nutraceuticals etc. before finalising the profiling and to produce a policy brief with key recommendations on how the government can capitalise on these plants to generate income for the country.
Expected Outputs
The following are expected as immediate deliverables of this work: a detailed, yet concise profile of 15 – 25 indigenous Zimbabwean plants developed; report of consultation process with other stakeholders, including their views and recommendations; a policy brief with clear practical recommendations on how the government can commercialise the profiled indigenous plants and potential returns from this.
Time Duration
The study is to be conducted from March – July 2020
Qualifications
The consultant should have a minimum of a University Degree with bias towards plant or crop science.