International Consultant for Rwandan Beef, Dairy, and Meat Value Chain Standards for Export to the European Union at United Nations Economic Commission for Africa: (Deadline 23 December 2024)

Result of Service

1. Inception Report: This report should provide a good description and comprehension of the work at hand, which will demonstrate the level of understanding of the assignment by the consultant. In line with that, it would be good to have a detailed table of content of the study as follows: (i) the compliance status of meat derivative products, veterinary services, and the animal health regulatory system, (ii) the national (and regional) food safety and conformity assessment system (including laboratories, inspection, and testing), (iii) logistics infrastructure (such as abattoirs and the cold chain), and (iv) the compliance levels of the private sector and small-scale beef producers. (ii) Sources of data (primary and secondary data) and methodology and approach to the assessment. (iii) Work plan that will be followed and an annotated outline of the final gap assessment report. The inception report should also give an idea of the key messages and recommendations that could emerge from the study. 2. Draft Report and validation workshop: The report evaluates the alignment of Rwanda’s beef, dairy, and meat value chain with international standards for export to the European Union (EU) and the Middle East, highlighting areas such as veterinary services, food safety systems, logistics infrastructure, and compliance levels among private sector and small-scale producers, while identifying gaps and outlining a key action plan to address them. 3. Final Report: A final report making actionable recommendations on how to strengthen the Gako project based on conclusions and contributions from the workshop.

Work Location

Home based

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

I. Background and context Globally, the demand for meat is rising, driven by increasing population, rising incomes, and dietary habits that include high protein consumption. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), total global meat consumption is expected to reach approximately 430 million metric tons by 2030, representing a growth of around 13% from 2023 levels. This increase in demand presents significant opportunities for meat producers worldwide, especially in Africa. Beef production and exports in Africa are likely to be growing sectors with considerable potential due to the continent’s large livestock population and the rising global demand for beef. South Africa, the main exporter of beef in Africa, increased its exports of frozen beef to the world by 2% in value and 1% in quantity between 2016 and 2020. Furthermore, Namibia exports high-quality beef to several international markets, including the European Union, South Africa, Norway, the United States, and China. In Eastern Africa, Tanzania is the largest beef producer, with 31.9 million head of cattle and 536,000 tons of meat produced in 2022. Uganda is another key regional player, with 14.6 million head of cattle and 187,000 tons of beef produced in 2022. In Rwanda, according to MINAGRI, the cattle heads are reportedly estimated at 1,644,692 heads and meat production at 197,778 MT per annum . From 2017 to 2023, livestock production and transformation have been among Rwanda’s most dynamic sectors, expanding by nearly 9% per annum (NISR data, 2023). The Rwanda Beef Sector Overview- Gako project The livestock sector in Rwanda contributes 10% of Rwanda’s agriculture GDP and agriculture contributes 31% to the national GDP. The main market destination for Rwanda’s livestock and livestock products is the Democratic Republic of Congo, with other key market destinations comprising the United Arab Emirates mainly Dubai, Middle East and Northern African Countries (MENA) (for live animals). Rwanda has experienced a decline in the meat exports over the past years. Rwanda’s livestock industry is hampered by SPS constraints which have constrained the product’s market access. Both Rwanda’s Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (2018-2024) and National Agricultural Policy (2018) recognized the need to address SPS issues to access high-end consumer markets. In effect, one of the strategic orientations of the plan is a focus on upgrading the provision of SPS/quality standards including for animal resources to facilitate beef exports. An assessment conducted by COMESA Secretariat in 2022 in collaboration with the Standards and Trade Facility of the WTO identified the following as key constraints to Rwanda’s livestock industry (COMESA P-IMA Rwanda Report, 2022): i. Inadequate mechanisms to ensure digital traceability for beef exports, and adequate food hygiene control systems to integrate an effective regulatory and enforcement mechanisms for follow up. According to COMESA, this important component in food trade, especially international trade is not complied with as required in the case of Rwanda’s beef exports. Business operators lack effective capacity to operationalize traceability in their respective food production chains especially on food receipt and food recall. This includes different components of traceability, different functionalities, identification of the unit being traced, proper documentation and data recording just to mention a few. ii. Absence of a Residual Monitoring Plan (RMP) to evaluate veterinary drugs residues for beef exports as this a market access requirement for developed markets. Exporting countries are required to demonstrate residue safety for beef exports through veterinary drugs which currently, Rwanda does not have in place. Recently, chemical residues including pesticides, antibiotics, and heavy metals in food products especially animal products are becoming a global concern as they present a serious health threat to consumers. The absence of a RMP for Rwanda’s beef exports is making it difficult for Rwanda to be listed as a third-party country allowed for exporting beef into the EU Markets as is the case with its honey exports. iii. Prevalence of trade sensitive and Transboundary Animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), “Peste des petits ruminants” (PPR) affecting the beef industry for Rwanda. This is exacerbated by the lack of well-structured animal disease surveillance system, considering both active and passive surveillances to implement disease prevention and control strategies especially for trade sensitive diseases. As of 2022, there was no known animal disease surveillance systems, although different measures to control diseases are taken especially when outbreak occurs. iv. Poor infrastructure qualities such as quarantine stations and slaughterhouses. COMESA notes that, Rwanda has twelve modern abattoirs with only one abattoir certified for export in the following: HACCP and ISO 22 000: 2018 on food safety management system, 1S0 9001 on Quality Management System, ISO 14000 on Environment management system by third-party international certifying bodies, HALAL for the Middle East market. Rwanda’s beef exports are also hampered by fragmented cold supply chain which affect the country’s potential to sustain a supply chain of its beef exports to key destination markets. v. Rwanda does not have large areas of grassland where specialized cow-calf systems with beef breeds can be established. Gako farm is an exception but only covers around 5,000 ha while there are around 1.5 million dairy cows producing around 500-600,000 males per year, which will remain the main source of beef in the country . The Ministerial Order on land use in Eastern Province will reduce opportunities for producing beef in the Eastern Province. Farmers will have to switch to zero grazing systems, which will be increasingly dairy specialized. vi. The Rwandan leather industry is a related sector, relatively small and primarily involving small to medium-sized enterprises. The sector faces challenges such as limited local processing facilities and reliance on imported raw materials. The supply of raw hides and skins is largely dependent on the dairy and beef sectors. However, the volume and quality of these materials can be inconsistent, affecting the overall leather production capacity. There is a lack of modern processing facilities, which hampers the efficiency and quality of leather production. Many tanneries use outdated methods that limit the value-added potential of the leather. Also, issues with the quality of raw hides and skins, such as defects and contamination, impact the quality of the finished leather products. vii. Rwanda’s beef exports are also hampered by climatic conditions requiring new cattle production method and land carrying capacity through adoption of regenerative grazing techniques. Evidence shows that a major ecological and biodiversity uplift occurs when a critical number of commercial and small-scale beef producers adopt regenerative grazing techniques. Evidence further shows that regenerative grazing techniques can significantly increase the cattle population, reduce the disease burden, and increase the land available for beef production, ultimately, increasing the participation of Rwanda beef producers (both small scale and commercial) in high value carbon and biodiversity markets. To address challenges in the beef value chain—such as low production, inadequate infrastructure including slaughterhouses, transportation, and cold chain logistics—Rwanda has initiated several projects. One notable project is the Gako project, launched in 2015 to enhance the production of quality meat and beef processing for both local and export markets. Despite nine years of implementation, the beef yield of the Gako project is still not sufficient and processing levels, is a third of Namibia’s and about half of Uganda’s output. This disparity needs to be addressed for Rwandan beef to be competitive in international markets. Key areas for improvement include animal husbandry and the availability of animal feed and the support of the beef value chain by digital technologies. However, the potential of Rwanda’s livestock sector to stimulate economic growth and create job opportunities remains limited without an efficient value chain for exporting beef to markets such as Europe, the Middle East, or to other African markets. II. Objectives This consultancy seeks to assess the feasibility of revitalizing and enhancing the Gako project to meet international standards and improve the competitiveness of Rwandan beef in key export markets. Specifically, the project aims to: 1. Strengthen Local Capacity: Enhance the capacity of local producers to meet international standards by increasing the proportion of beef breeds in the national herd and improving infrastructure such as slaughterhouses, cold chain logistics, and feedlots. 2. Construct Digital traceability of beef exports: provide an adequate food hygiene control systems to integrate an effective regulatory and enforcement mechanisms for follow up the important component in food trade, especially international trade is not complied with as required in the case of Rwanda’s beef, meat, leather exports. 3. Market Diversification: Explore alternative markets in the GCC countries and other regions where certification requirements are achievable, while also considering the European market for long-term expansion. 4. Adopt Innovative Models: Implement an out-grower model involving private farmers to ensure a steady supply of quality beef. This model will be based on successful practices from countries like Botswana and tailored to Rwanda’s specific context. 5. Develop a Bankable Business Case: Create a comprehensive business case to attract foreign investors and partners to collaborate with the Rwandan government in the Gako project. 6. Promote Integrated Farming: Evaluate the feasibility of raising both beef and dairy cattle on Gako Farm to optimize land use and enhance profitability. 7. Assess the Feasibility of Implementing a Comprehensive Traceability System: Evaluate the cost-effectiveness of developing and integrating a robust digital traceability system throughout the entire beef value chain (Meat, leather, diary…) to enhance product quality and safety. 8. Improve the contribution of the dairy sector to beef production: Currently, dairy males are fattened in inadequate conditions, and because they are usually of pure dairy breeds (including increasingly jersey, which produces very light males), they have low carcass weight, yield, and quality. The study should explore opportunities for improving the quality, quantity, and weight of these carcasses: fattening techniques, terminal crossbreeding using sexed semen (males) of beef breeds, utilization of dual-purpose breeds (including Inyambo), improved slaughtering facilities, etc. This is where most of the potential for development of beef production stands in our view.

– Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in agricultural economics (beef value chain), agronomy, economics, development economics, or related area is required. A first level university degree in a combination of additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the master’s degree. – Minimum 7 (seven) years of experience in meat value chain standards is required, – Strong expertise in dairy, beef and meat standards, particularly for export to the Middle East and Europe is desired. – In-depth knowledge of international regulatory frameworks (e.g., EU regulations, Middle Eastern import standards) is desired. – Experience with food safety management systems and quality assurance protocols is desired. – Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with stakeholders across multiple regions is desired.

Languages

Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English is required (oral and written) and knowledge of French is an asset.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.