Food Techncology Specialist

FAO

The Food Technology Specialist provides technical support to the design, capacity building and technical implementation of fishery and aquaculture product development, value addition, food safety, Halal compliance, and market integration initiatives across BARMM.

Tasks and responsibilities

Conduct a thorough review and identification of fishery and aquaculture product development and value addition. Analyse existing data, reports, and literature relevant to fishery and aquaculture product development, post-harvest practices, and value chain needs in BARMM. Develop a tailored design for improving product development, value addition processes, and postharvest handling that reduce losses and meet food safety and Halal standards.
Assist in providing provincial and municipal level training workshops with MAFAR, LGUs, association and cooperatives on value addition processes, food safety and Good Aquaculture Manufacturing Practices (GMP, SSOP, HACCP), Good Aquaculture Practices (GAqP) relevant to product quality and safety, halal requirements and compliance procedures and entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
Provide technical support for the raining of trainers (ToT) for post-harvest technology and enterprise management. Support cascade trainings for LGUs, associations and cooperatives to systematically transfer and institutionalize value-addition knowledge at the municipal level.
Develop business and marketing plans for product lines, including branding, packaging, and labelling, aligned with Halal and food safety standards.
Support the participation of LGUs, associations and cooperatives in regional trade fairs, and support online visibility and digital marketing pathways.
Provide technical support to the Bangsamoro Aquaculture and Fisheries Congress, including showcasing value-added products. Assist in monitoring the adoption of the recommended practices by cooperatives and associations, and support the implementation of necessary adjustments based on feedback and results.
Support high-level dialogue among the Ministry of Fisheries, Ministry of Trade, and/or other relevant ministries
Develop best-practices and lessons learned report in value-addition, Halal compliance, and food safety at the end of the project.
Work with project communications assistant to prepare gender-sensitive IEC materials on cold chain processes and facilities, aquatic biosecurity, food safety and value-added fishery products and develop content for awareness campaigns, trade events, online platforms, and marketplace visibility.
Prepare and submit end of assignment report including lessons learned and best practices in accordance with FAO guidelines.