Name: Landell Mills
Price range: $

Project Indonesia

28/07/23 - 31/05/25

TA-6897 REG: Climate Resilient Farmer Group Development to Support COVID-19 Recovery for Smallholder Coffee Farmers

Asian Development Bank (ADB) proposes to provide a corporate loan to ECOM Agroindustrial Corp. Ltd. and its subsidiaries (ECOM) to support ECOM’s short term liquidity needs to ensure continuation of ECOM’s operations in Asia throughout the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

The loan will support smallholder farmers from whom ECOM directly source raw materials in the project countries. Disruptions to agricultural supply chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted smallholder farmers as local markets close down and smaller traders cease buying.

The impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods of female farmers is disproportionately harsh, given their limited access to land, credit, and inputs. ECOM’s role as a sustainable buyer of agricultural products at scale will provide timely support to smallholder farmers’ livelihoods, particularly for female farmers.

As part of the loan, there will be a package of technical assistance to use the loan in support of smallholder farmers development through input provision, technology development, and training. The Asian Development Bank has contracted Landell Mills (LM) to implement the technical assistance.

The technical assistance (TA) aims to:

develop at least 50 coffee farmer groups (women farmers comprising an average of at least 35% of group members) and train at least 100 farmer group educators (FGEs), including at least one female and one male FGE per farmer group in Indonesia with a focus on delivering support in the context of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, developing climate-resilient coffee farming best practices adapted to the needs of women and the local context, and improving financial literacy; pilot test 50 biochar kilns with coffee farmer groups in Indonesia, with at least 35% women beneficiaries; develop at least 30 coffee farmer groups (women farmers comprising an average of at least 15% of group members) and train at least 60 FGEs (at least one female and one male per farmer group) in Papua New Guinea (PNG) with a focus on delivering support in the context of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, developing climate-resilient coffee farming best practices adapted to the needs of women and the local context, and improving financial literacy; and pilot test 30 post-harvest and storage technologies with coffee farmers in PNG, with at least 15% women beneficiaries.

Project Nigeria

14/07/23 - 13/07/27

Technical Assistance to improve EU Visibility in Policy Areas and Development Cooperation

Project Jamaica

13/07/23 - 13/01/26

Design and Implementation of Public Diplomacy and Communication Strategy in Jamaica

Project Tajikistan

26/06/23 - 30/11/25

TA-6846 TAJ: Climate- and Disaster-Resilient Irrigation and Drainage Modernization in the Vakhsh River Basin Project - Consulting Firm to Support Operation & Maintenance and Financial Sustainability of Water Resources Infrastructure (53109-001)

Tajikistan is heavily reliant on agriculture for employment and subsistence; agriculture accounts for 20% of the national GDP and 30% of exports. About 51% of the population, and 69% of female employment, is engaged in the sector, although women are disproportionately employed in agricultural labor rather than managerial positions and therefore have limited access to decision making in the sector. Tajikistan has abundant water resources, with an annual water availability of 7,649 cubic meters per capita. However. its mountainous geography limits the total arable land area to just 7% of the total land area. Subsequently, the country is heavily dependent on imported food and agricultural commodities.

The government’s approach to national economic and social development is outlined in the National Development Strategy 2030, where it looks to transition from “an agrarian-industrial based economy” to an “industrial-agrarian based economy.” From now until 2030, dramatic growth in the service sector and industrial employment is anticipated. These two sectors are expected to employ 75%–80% of the labor force by 2030, with agriculture’s share shrinking to 20%–25%, or about half of the 2016 level. To facilitate this shift, agriculture must become vastly more efficient and productive to provide increased output with a greatly reduced labor force. This transition will require a more efficient irrigated agriculture sector. More than 90% of agriculture production in Tajikistan is from irrigated lands, while irrigation withdrawals constitute about 85% of national water resource use.

The country is drained by two transboundary rivers: the Amu Darya in the south and the Syr Darya in the north. The Vakhsh river is a major tributary of the Amu Darya contributing about 29% of its total flow. The Vakhsh River Basin is key to (irrigated) agricultural production in Tajikistan, and the Yovon scheme is one of the largest irrigation schemes in the basin. The Yovon scheme engineering infrastructure comprises: (i) Main-Branch Canals and associated structures, (ii) Pumping Systems, (iii) Secondary-Tertiary Distribution Systems, (iv) Drainage Systems, (v) Escape/ spill mudflow channels, (vi) Inspection-Farm Roads, and (vii) Field systems.

Significant upgrades need to be made to some of the scheme’s infrastructure – the remote main system flow monitoring has totally failed, and most of the gates can no longer be easily operated, even manually. The secondary and tertiary systems are arguably in an even worse condition.

The technical assistance (TA) on Support to Operation and Maintenance and Financial Sustainability of Water Resources Infrastructure is attached to the Climate and Disaster Resilient Irrigation and Drainage Modernization in the Vakhsh River Basin Project. The project financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will modernize prioritized components of the Yovon system. It will increase the capacities of the Agency for Land Reclamation and Irrigation (ALRI) and water users’ associations (WUAs) on infrastructure management and water use efficiency. Women farmers will be targeted in all activities. The project will also increase climate and disaster resilience, water and agricultural productivity, and farmer’s incomes through two outputs: (i) climate adaptive and gender-responsive management and operation of I&D systems strengthened, and (ii) policy strengthened for sustainable water management.

The scope of TA work comprises the development, testing and operationalization of a digital asset and financial management system (AFMS) for the Yovon unit of ALRI and the relevant ALRI unit at the headquarters and to train the ALRI staff in managing the system. The AFMS should include all infrastructural elements of the system from intake to drainage and outlets and comprises all financial flows at local, provincial, and central level including operation, maintenance and repair, and replacement budgets as well as subsidies and payments for services by different groups or organizations. The AFMS will also be used for WUAs where necessary with the support of the Union of WUAs, and/or the Yovon unit of ALRI.

The TA team and three individual consultants hired directly by ADB will coordinate their activities with ALRI and with the Project Implementation Group (PIG) of the Climate and Disaster Resilient Irrigation and Drainage Modernization in the Vakhsh River Basin Project, and will work together with the project implementation consultant (PIC) on relevant technical, institutional, and financial issues.

In addition, the TA consultant team contract will include a provision of supporting studies and survey sub-contracts, which will be engaged and supervised by the TA consultant team. Results and findings of the supporting studies and surveys will be incorporated and/or consolidated in the TA consultant team’s outputs. Expected surveys and data provision include:

(i) Detailed GPS-based irrigation asset survey of the Yovon unit project area;

(i) Provision of asset data in georeferenced GIS format with detailed GIS metadata; and

(ii) Provision of asset financial details and parameters for financial asset management.

Project Guinea-bissau

24/06/23 - 24/09/23

Final evaluation "Áreas protegidas e resiliência às mudanças climáticas"

Project Afghanistan

09/06/23 - 30/05/24

Afghanistan Water Sector Strategic Assessment - Groundwater Management Options Assessment

Water is critical to the Afghanistan economic recovery. Water-dependent sectors (mainly agriculture) account for at least 27 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and agriculture remains the primary source of livelihoods for 70 percent of the population. But Afghanistan is experiencing a water crisis because of decades of underinvestment in water infrastructure and services and weak sector institutions. A national drought was officially declared in June 2021, with 79 percent of the households reporting insufficient water for their daily needs. Groundwater and surface water levels are depleted following two consecutive drought years.

Water supply and sanitation services in Afghanistan are inadequate and the country is not on track to meet Sustainable Development Goal 6 to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” by 2030. Only 67 percent of Afghanistan’s population has access to basic drinking water services, dropping to just 33 percent in rural regions. Only 43 percent of Afghans have access to basic sanitation services. Poor water and sanitation services in the three largest cities of Afghanistan – Kabul, Kandahar and Herat – are a particular concern due to these cities’ high share of the country’s urban population (66 percent). At present, all three water systems are exclusively supplied from groundwater, requiring energy intensive pumping. The remainder of the population which is not connected to the piped network also relies predominantly on groundwater, tapping into the unconfined shallow aquifers with private wells. Moreover, water quality is a considerable concern as the shallow aquifers are subject to contamination from surface drainage and untreated wastewater. Wastewater collection is non-existent.

Reliable year-round water resources are crucial for farmers as agricultural sector is an extremely important sector in the economy. It makes up more than a quarter of the country's GDP, but even more importantly it is a major source of employment. Despite the importance of the sector to the economy, only 32 percent of the arable land irrigated (2.5 million ha out of 7.8 million ha in 2020). More than 15% of Afghanistan’s irrigated land gets water from traditional underground systems such as Karezes (Qanats) , springs and shallow wells (locally called as Arhads).

Even though most of the domestic and other livelihood needs in urban and rural Afghanistan are being met through utilization of groundwater resources, knowledge on groundwater issues in Afghanistan is sparse as data availability and use remains scattered and limited. However, while uncertainties remain because of the paucity of data, available information suggests a significant potential for groundwater utilization in Afghanistan and could be an important resource as an adaptation mechanism to variable surface water availability due to climate change if managed properly. Given its high potential, detailed study and planning of these resources in combination with appropriate regulation and control mechanisms are needed for its sustainable management.

Project Morocco

05/06/23 - 20/05/26

Budget support monitoring contract Terre Verte

Project Cyprus

12/05/23 - 31/12/24

Continued support in the area of animal health in the northern part of Cyprus

The livestock sector in the northern part of Cyprus plays an important role in the country's economy, providing employment opportunities for local people and contributing to the agricultural sector's GDP. Agriculture and livestock farming are among the main economic activities, with the sector including animal husbandry, milk production, meat production, and poultry production. Livestock farming is mainly practiced in rural areas, and the sector provides employment opportunities for farmers, herders, and other agricultural workers. The agriculture sector is an important driver for the Turkish Cypriot economy; the sector has significant linkages to other economic sectors, such as food processing and tourism. Manufacturing, which includes agri-food processing, produces predominantly dairy products and therefore relies heavily on domestic milk production.

However, despite its potential for growth and development, there are several challenges facing the livestock sector in the northern part of Cyprus. The primary challenges are limited resources such as water for irrigation, high costs of imported animal feed, lack of infrastructure and proper animal shelters, and high mortality rate of the new-born animals. Additionally, low levels of rainfall, high temperatures and increasing periods of drought put enormous pressure on the sector’s performance. In addition, there is a need for a more robust regulatory environment to ensure animal welfare, quality control, and food safety standards. This will require investment in regulatory institutions, inspection systems, and infrastructure to improve the sector's competitiveness in the global market. The European Union's involvement in animal health programmes in the northern part of Cyprus is part of a broader effort to counter such challenges, thereby improving the overall health and welfare of animals and promoting sustainable agriculture in the region.

On 12 April 2021, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/591 (4) entered a name in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications in respect of ‘Χαλλούμι’ (Halloumi)/‘Hellim’ (PDO). This protected designation of origin covers the whole island of Cyprus including the northern part of Cyprus. Pending the reunification of Cyprus, the prohibition under Article 4(9) of Regulation (EC) No 866/2004 for the animal products is lifted for the product, allowing the movement of the Halloumi/‘Hellim’ across the green line based on the fulfilment of certain conditions. The first and the most important of these conditions that should be fulfilled is that the animal health status in the northern part of Cyprus has to be established favourably according to internationally agreed standards of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) for all the diseases potentially transmissible through trade in the product. According to Annex III of (EU) 2021/586, there is a requirement on the status of bovine tuberculosis, bovine brucellosis and ovine and caprine brucellosis.

So far, significant support has been provided under the Aid Programme in the area of animal health, in the form of services and supplies, as well as through the TAIEX instrument in aligning the local legal texts with the EU standards. From 2006 to 2019, a total of €555 million has been allocated under the Aid Regulation from which more than €15 million has been assigned to increase the performance of the livestock sector, especially in animal husbandry and animal health. In addition to the grants given to livestock farmers (especially milk and dairy products producers), veterinary ‘services’ were also provided for the purpose of controlling and eventually eradicating infectious animal diseases and zoonotic diseases.

This contract aims to contribute to the promotion of the rural and economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community and the favourable animal health status of the area. The specific objective is to contribute to:

Further reduction of the prevalence of brucellosis in the northern part of Cyprus,Further improvement of TCc veterinary ‘services’ capacity to implement intradermal tuberculin test(s) according to EU requirements; andImproved confidence in the reliability of data on the status of bovine tuberculosis, enzootic bovine leucosis (EBL) and exotic diseases (Food and Mouth Disease (FMD), Sheep and goat pox (SGP), Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD)) in the northern part of Cyprus.

Project Rwanda

08/05/23 - 07/05/26

Strategic Communication and Public Diplomacy

The overall objective of the project is to implement a set of actions to: enhance the positive opinion of the EU and its actions in Rwanda and to underpin a better understanding and perception of the EU, its purpose, interests and values in a sustained way; increase the visibility of the EU (including its Member States) and to communicate effectively on its partnership with Rwanda and contribution to the country’s development progress.This project supports the implementation of the EU Delegation’s Strategic communication and public diplomacy strategy, through a combination of actions, including disseminating strategic communication products on the EU’s policies and cooperation actions in Rwanda; organising events (cultural, sports, fairs, exhibitions, competitions, etc.); establishing platforms for exchange and capacity-building; creating fora for dialogue and discussion; contributing to advocacy and communication campaigns, including production and dissemination of broadcast, print, video and digital media products.This engagement involves representatives of the EU Delegation directly in relationship-building in order to achieve sustainable outcomes of such public diplomacy agenda, which results in the foundation of solid and lasting alliances and partnerships with Rwandan actors.

The purposes of this contract are to support the EU Delegation in:

Implementing its public diplomacy programme:

by fostering alliances that would mobilise and advocate for a large array of EU foreign policy objectives, and be natural partners in the promotion of EU values or the projection of EU policies; by strengthening networks and partnerships with target groups (civil society organisation, think tanks and universities, students, youth, cultural professionals, private business); by increasing capacity of partners increased and links between stakeholders in Rwanda and the EU; - by creating spaces for open and constructive exchange and dialogue, building on trustful relations and mutual respect.Implementing its strategic communication: to widen and deepen public awareness of the EU and of EU cooperation with Rwanda, including through its development cooperation programmes in Rwanda and their impact; to enhance, secure and sustain awareness and recognition of the partnership between the European Union and Rwanda, the East African region and with the African Union at continental level; to foster understanding and perception of EU policies, objectives, and EU action in Rwanda.The target groups:Youth, and general public (with a focus on age group 18-35) Students, academia/think tanksCivil society organisationsMedia professionalsCultural stakeholdersPrivate sector organisations.

Project Ukraine

01/05/23 - 21/12/24

Our projects

861 projects found