FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) was founded in 1945 as a specialized agency of the United Nations family. FAO has176 member nations of FAO who have pledged themselves to three main aims:

• to raise the levels of nutrition and the standards of living of their peoples;
• to improve the production and distribution of all food and agricultural products;
• to improve the condition of the rural population.

FAO, under its Regular Programme, provides policy and technical advice to member countries in the fields of agriculture, livestock, fisheries, forestry and nutrition. Through the Field Programme it assists developing countries in their efforts to promote rural development and strengthen food security, raise agricultural production, improve efficiency in land and water use, and achieve optimum utilization of forestry and fisheries resources.

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The Animal Production and Health Division (NSA) assists FAO members in the development of sustainable livestock systems. It hosts intergovernmental bodies, multi-stakeholder initiatives and knowledge networks that provide information and technical and policy support to development efforts, including emergency preparedness and response.

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The Division has expertise in animal health (One Health), animal production and genetics, and livestock sector analysis and policy. The assignment is within the Livestock Information, Sector Analysis and Policy Branch (NSAL). NSAL provides information services and carries out analysis in support of technical and policy interventions towards sustainable livestock, focusing on social, economic and environmental goals. The incumbent will be located within the Livestock Policy Lab (LPL) in NSAL. The LPL provides evidence-based analytical support to national, regional and global policy processes and initiatives related to sustainable livestock.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the Chief, NSAL, the direct supervision of the Livestock Economist Policy Officer and in collaboration with FAO colleagues, the incumbent will contribute to FAO Strategic Objectives.

Technical Focus 

The incumbent will contribute to the design and implementation of an integrated modelling framework for assessing methane mitigation strategies in the dairy sector, with a particular focus on Agent-Based Modelling (ABM). The role involves simulating the behavior of heterogeneous agents—such as farmers, input suppliers, and regulators—and evaluating how their interactions influence the adoption and effectiveness of low-carbon technologies under varying policy and economic scenarios. The model will be used to generate insights into adoption dynamics, structural and behavioral barriers, and the system-wide impacts of mitigation strategies.

Tasks and responsibilities

Consultants and PSA subscribers will: 
•    Design and implement an ABM to simulate the adoption and diffusion of methane mitigation technologies in the dairy sector.
•    Develop behavioural rules for different types of agents, incorporating economic, social, and institutional drivers.
•    Integrate farm-level technical and economic data into the ABM framework, using inputs from existing models where relevant.
•    Conduct scenario analyses to evaluate the system-wide effects of policy interventions on technology uptake and emission outcomes.
•    Contribute to the drafting of technical reports and policy briefs based on ABM results, aimed at informing decision-making on sustainable livestock transformation.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements depending on the profile and orientation

•    Advanced university degree in economics, environmental economics, agricultural economics, bioeconomy, or a related field. A first level degree with 2 years of additional experience in economics, environmental economics, agricultural economics, bioeconomy, or a related field.
•    At least one year of relevant experience for COF in livestock economic modelling. For PSAs at least one year of experience in livestock economic modelling with a first level university degree.   
•    Working knowledge of English

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Extent and relevance of experience in the design and application of Agent-Based Models, preferably in agriculture, livestock, or natural resource management.
•    Familiarity with modelling platforms such as NetLogo, AnyLogic, Repast, GAMA, Mesa, or similar agent-based modelling environments.
•    Experience in incorporating behavioural, institutional, or spatial dimensions into simulation models.
•    Capacity to translate model outputs into policy-relevant insights and communicate findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.