The Role
The position is for a Senior Livestock Policy Officer (Natural Resources and Climate) in the Animal Production and Health Division.
The Animal Production and Health Division assists FAO members in the development of sustainable livestock systems. It hosts intergovernmental bodies, multi-stakeholder initiatives and knowledge networks, provides information and technical and policy support to development efforts, including emergency preparedness and response. The Division has expertise in animal health (One Health), animal production and genetics, and livestock sector analysis and policy.
The role is for two years in Rome, Italy.
You can read more about this role and the application process here.
Applications close 9 October 2019
The International Symposium on Climate-Resilient Agri-Environmental Systems is meeting in Dublin from 19-22 May 2020.
The call for abstracts is open for submission here
It will be a great opportunity to meet and greet with multidisciplinary experts, as well as gather and exchange ideas and thoughts on how to combat climate change and protect the environment.
Read more here
The CIRCASA project is glad to invite you to the Webinar Meeting “Monitoring reporting verification methods for soil carbon”. Presented by the French Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA)
Date: September 20, 2019, at 2:00 P.M (Paris UTC+2).
What is this webinar about?
During this Webinar, we will talk about the different existing methods to monitor soil carbon sequestration in France and at international level. You will learn about the carbon budget, remote sensing methodologies, limitations, and benefits of each methodology.
Please register here
Jean-François Soussana – CIRCASA project Coordinator, INRA
Gecica Yogo – Soil Carbon engineer, INRA
Eric Ceschia – Senior scientist, CESBIO, INRA
Antonio Bispo – US InfoSol Director in link with GISSOL, INRA
More information about the Webinar can be found here
Twitter: @CIRCASAproject
Facebook: CIRCASAproject
The Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) is pleased to announce Turkey as our newest member country. Turkey has become the 58th member of the GRA.
The GRA is looking forward to working with Turkey to improve sustainable farming practices and to produce more food while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The 58 member countries now participating in the activities of the Global Research Alliance are: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, eSwatini, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Honduras, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malawi, Mexico, Mongolia, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Vietnam, Zimbabwe
The Role
This is an exciting opportunity and experience not to be missed to undertake your postdoctoral studies with New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC).
In this role you will be supporting an international team of lead authors writing Chapter 7 (Agriculture) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report.
Based at the stunning Palmerston North Grasslands campus, this is a 2-year fixed term placement reporting directly to a New Zealand lead author, Dr Harry Clark. A specific purpose of the position is to increase knowledge and capability of an early career scientist in the IPCC process.
Read the full position description here
How to apply
If this sounds like you, apply here
Please include your CV and a covering letter detailing why you feel you would be suitable for this position.
Applications close: 23 August 2019
We are pleased to announce that the third round of the CLIFF-GRADS programme is now open!
The Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) and the CGIAR Research Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) are pleased to announce that the third round of the CLIFF-GRADS programme is now open!
Thirty-four exciting research opportunities in livestock, soil, rice and agroforestry are available this round.
Students from developing countries currently enrolled in PhD programmes are invited to apply for short-term scientific training and research stays on topics related to the measurement and management of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon storage in agricultural systems.
Selected students will be sponsored from 10,000-12,000 USD for the short-term (4-6 months) research stays advertised in this call. The grants will be used to support living and research costs at the host institution. Grants may not be used for tuition or unrelated personal expenses.
Read More and Apply:
Click here to view the list of available research opportunities and to read more about the application process.
Interested applicants should note the following information:
Eligibility:
1. Applicants must be currently enrolled PhD students in a field related to quantification of greenhouse gas emissions or carbon sequestration in agricultural systems.
2. Applicants must be students from a developing country.
3. Previous CLIFF-GRADS are not eligible to apply.
Submission and process for selection:
1. The deadline for applications is September 30, 2019.
2. Applicants must complete the online CLIFF-GRADS Round 3 Survey, which can be found here.
3. Applicants must email a single PDF document containing their curriculum vitae (CV), motivation letter, and a letter of support from their current supervisor to [email protected]
Selection Criteria:
Applicants will be selected based on the following criteria:
1. Overall research qualifications
2. Relevance of thesis topic or other research experience to the research opportunity to which you are applying
3. Clear description of how the CLIFF-GRADS experience will improve your scientific capacity.
Background:
CLIFF-GRADS is a joint initiative of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) Low Emissions Development Flagship and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA). CLIFF-GRADS aims to build the capability of early career agricultural students in developing countries to conduct applied research on climate change mitigation in agriculture. Research projects are hosted by CCAFS and GRA members and partners. Funding for CLIFF-GRADS is provided by the Government of New Zealand, USAID and by the CGIAR Trust Fund and bilateral agreements in support of CCAFS.
For any questions regarding the CLIFF-GRADS scholarship programme, please email: [email protected]
Read more about CCAFS
The Integrative Research Group (IRG) of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) is hosting its Webinar Meeting “Australian Soil Carbon Offset Methods: the science, the policy and the practice”. Presented by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, the Australian Government Department of Environment and Energy, and the Australian Government Clean Energy Regulator.
When: June 26, 2019, at 9:00 P.M (Canberra UTC+10).
What is this webinar about?
The Australian Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) is a voluntary scheme that supports Australian businesses, farmers and land managers to take actions to reduce emissions and improve the environment. By running projects to reduce emissions and store carbon, businesses, land managers and others can earn Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs). These units can be sold to the Australian Government through a carbon abatement contract, or to other businesses seeking to offset their emissions. Over 770 projects have been registered under many eligible activities, including energy efficiency, waste management, revegetation, livestock management, savanna fire management and soil carbon sequestration.
Eligible emissions reduction activities are included in ‘methodology determinations’, or ‘methods’ for short. Methods are developed by the government in consultation with industry and technical experts. They set out the rules for estimating carbon abatement from different activities, including in the land sector. These methods ensure that carbon abatement is measurable, verifiable and additional to business as usual operations.
What will you learn?
Join Beverly Henry, Vyt Vilkaitis and Konrad Muller to hear about the soil carbon methods under Australia’s ERF – the development of the underpinning science, the policy framework and the practicalities of the methods.
Beverley, Vyt and Konrad will discuss all this, in the context of the two legislated methods currently approved for soil carbon offsets:
- Estimating sequestration of carbon in soil using default values method (model-based soil carbon)
- Measurement of soil carbon sequestration in agricultural systems method
Speakers:
Beverley Henry – GRA, IRG co-chair, member of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the 4p1000 Initiative.
Through academic and consulting positions, she participates in several Australian and international climate change committees and panels.
Vyt Vilkaitis – Australian Department of the Environment and Energy working on the ERF.
He has worked in government policy for over 10 years focusing on natural resource management.
Konrad Muller – Member of the Australian Government Clean Energy Regulator, ERF Policy Team
He advises on the design, implementation and strategic issues of the ERF. Konrad was formerly in the Australian Government Department of Agriculture with an academic background in agricultural science.
Please register here.
The Thünen Institute, Germany, is currently offering a funded PhD position within a project aiming at improving the German agricultural GHG inventory:
The position is for a fixed term of four years and to be filled at the earliest opportunity. The position is directed to applicants who, in addition to their employment, wish to pursue their own
academic career, in particular their doctorate. In this context, the Thünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture cooperates with various universities. The employment is a fixed-term position in accordance with §2 (1) sentence 1 of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (German law regarding academic fixedterm contracts).
Project tasks:
- Conduct literature studies and meta-analyses to derive refined emission factors for calculation of
nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions from agricultural soils - Acquire and model necessary regionalized activity data, in particular regarding nitrogen
fertilization in agriculture - Create regional nitrogen balances and harmonize greenhouse gas reporting with reporting under
the European Nitrates Directive - Create projections and evaluate mitigation options based on regionalized emission factors
- Scientific peer-reviewed publications
- Implement the new model approaches in the national inventory
Requirements:
- M.Sc. in applied statistics, geoecology, agriculture, environmental or soil sciences, meteorology or
related subjects. The degree must fulfill requirements for PhD candidates set by German
universities (see www.research-in-germany.org/en/jobs-and-careers/info-for-phdstudents/language-requirements.html). A master’s thesis with an above-average grade is
expected. - Excellent knowledge and experiences in statistics and empiric modelling
- Good knowledge of biogeochemistry and soil science is desired
- Basic familiarity with agriculture is desired
- Candidates need to be proficient with R and Excel, basic knowledge of python would be an
advantage - Team spirit, flexibility, high motivation and the ability to work independently
- Scientific curiosity and willingness to work on a doctoral thesis
- Excellent communication and writing skills in English, willingness to learn German
Read more and apply on the the Thünen Institute Website.
In October and November 2018, the Paddy Rice Research Group (PRRG) of the Global Research Alliance (GRA) took part in the APEC-funded project: ‘ Capacity Building on Management Technologies for Climate Smart Rice Cultivation in the South-East Asian and Latin American Rice Sector’.
Paddy rice production is a significant source of methane emissions (CH4), and it is therefore essential that countries find ways to reduce emissions from rice cultivation while improving productivity.
The ‘Capacity Building on Management Technologies for Climate Smart Rice Cultivation in the South-East Asian and Latin American Rice Sector’ project was initiated in 2018 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF), Japan, with the aim of enhancing knowledge among researchers and rice producers of climate change mitigation within the rice sector.
The project was funded by the APEC Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group and featured two capability building workshop attended by GRA scientists in partnership with researchers, experts, and rice producers.
The three key aims of the project were:
1) The sharing of knowledge and best practices of new management technologies for adapting to and mitigating climate change in the rice sector;
2) The exchange of views on management technologies and;
3) The development of networks among rice producers, researchers and experts, by organising an international workshop and expert visits.
Two capability building workshops were held; one in Bangkok, Thailand, and one in Parral, Chile. These workshops represented the different production systems found in these two regions and were supported by the Asia and America regional sub-Groups of the Paddy Rice Research Group respectively.
These workshops included expert presentations on a wide range of topics from mitigation through water saving techniques (Alternate Wetting and Drying-AWD) to country-specific experiences, capacity-building training on rice management technologies, and field training.
Following the workshops, farmers expressed an enhanced understanding of the effects of rice cultivation on climate change and the environment, and agreed to share their learning with others in their communities. Farmers and experts agreed on the need for the farming community, governments, and scientists to work together to ensure the right policies are put in place and research projects prioritised to improve climate change mitigation efforts.
Read more:
Read more about the individual presentations, knowledge sharing sessions and field training in APEC’s report: Capacity Building on Management Technologies for Climate Smart Rice Cultivation in the South-East Asian and Latin American Rice Sector.
Registration is now open for the Climate Change and Livestock: What Next?’ Conference.
The Conference is organised by the Society of Chemical Industry’s (SCI) Agrisciences Group and the British Society of Animal Science, and takes place 2 December, London, United Kingdom.
This conference will start with an introduction to the impact of livestock on climate change and delegates will then be informed of the evidence-based solutions for mitigating environmental footprint of livestock production and adapting our livestock systems to the changing climate. This unique event will provide the attendees with all you need to know about the latest developments around climate change and future livestock production.
This will be a unique opportunity to learn about, and discuss with experts in the field, climate change and livestock production, whilst expanding your relevant network and developing new partnerships. This event is aimed at people of all career stages and will be of particular interest to the following:
- Stakeholders across the animal food production chain, including feed producers, farmers, consultants, animal nutritionists and breeders, forage breeders and agronomists, machinery and precision technology developers and suppliers.
- Stakeholders across the animal food processing chain, including wholesalers, processors, and retailers.
- Specialists in all areas of livestock production, greenhouse gas emissions, climate change and environmental modelling; as well as students and early-career researchers in these fields.
- Those who are seeking evidence-based information around livestock and climate change and eager to learn about realistic technical solutions for mitigation of livestock greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation of livestock to the changing climate.
- Consumers and those involved in policy-making, who are keen to make informed decisions at individual and national level, respectively.
To register please, please click here.
The 2019 CLIFF-GRADS Programme is currently underway, with awardees travelling to various host institutions to begin their research journeys
CLIFF-GRADS is an international doctorate scholarship programme designed to build the capability of early career agricultural students and graduate students in developing countries to conduct applied research on climate change mitigation in agriculture. It is is a joint initiative of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change (CCAFS) low emissions development research and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA).
While at their host institutions, the awardees will learn more about various options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, as well how this relates to productivity and food security.
Scholarship recipients will work in a range of research fields including nutrient management, pasture management, soil and rumen microbiology, tropical agriculture, and greenhouse gas measurement. They will be introduced to novel climate change research and research techniques.
Some 212 applicants from more than 50 developing countries applied to this latest round of the programme, as compared to 65 applicants from 23 countries in the first round earlier last year. As such, 27 scholarships have been awarded to students from more than 18 countries in this second round.
Meet the 2019 awardees here.
Read more about CLIFF-GRADS on CGIAR’s website.
A thirty-eighth month Post Doctoral position has become available at Teagasc, Athenry, Ireland, in the area of ruminant greenhouse gas emissions and the rumen microbiome.
The successful candidate will be responsible for the management and implementation of a multidisciplinary collaborative project funded via Horizon 2020 called MASTER (Microbiome applications for sustainable food systems through technologies and enterprises).
To read more about the position please click here.