Economist

Organizational Setting

The Agrifood Economics and Policy Division (ESA) conducts economic research and policy analysis to support the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. ESA provides evidence-based support to national, regional and global policy processes and initiatives related to monitoring and analysing food and agricultural policies, agribusiness and value chain development, rural transformation and poverty, food security and nutrition information and analysis, resilience, bioeconomy, and climate-smart agriculture. The division also leads the production of two FAO flagship publications: The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) and The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) and provides core technical support for the FAO Global Roadmap.

Reporting Lines

Selected candidates will be assigned to different workstreams of the division and to different supervisors. The overall supervision remains with the Director, ESA. 

Technical Focus 

The Economist will specialize in integrating risk analysis, econometric modelling, and impact evaluations and the study of agrifood system resilience. This role calls for a strong quantitative and analytical abilities to propel innovative economic research, policy formulation, and impact assessment design. The incumbent will be expected to contribute to the design and implementation of experimental and quasi-experimental studies — including Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), Discrete Choice Experiments (DCEs), and Lab-in-the-Field (LIF) methods — to assess behavioural responses, adoption of technologies, and programme effectiveness in agrifood systems. In developing countries, the incumbent will be tasked with complex economic situations, applying state-of-the-art econometric techniques and models, leveraging on different data sources (surveys, remote-sensing, big data, and machine-learning derived) to illuminate trends, risks, and opportunities present within the agrifood sector, with particular attention to smallholder resilience and food security. 

Tasks and responsibilities

Using econometric, experimental methods, and modelling tools, the Economist will analyse issues related to risk, resilience, food security and nutrition within agrifood systems in developing countries. The objective of this role is to inform and shape policies that strengthen the resilience of agrifood systems, ultimately enhancing food security and nutrition.

Economic analysis

•    Conduct research and analysis on economic issues, trends, and policies. 
•    Utilize quantitative research methods to gather and interpret data.

Experimental design

•    Contribute to the design of experimental or quasi experimental impact evaluation to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention aiming at improving agrifood system resilience and household food security. 
•    Contribute to the design of DCE and LIF to unveil farmer preferences and behaviour responses towards agricultural technologies.

Data collection and analysis

•    Support the collection of primary data from both households and stakeholders, employing a range of data collection techniques. 
•    Develop robust economic models to better understand current economic patterns and dynamics. 
•    Utilize statistical software for in-depth data analysis and interpretation, uncovering key economic indicators and relationships.

Policy and project impact analysis

•    Assess agrifood policies and programmes, grounded in sound economic theories and evidence-based impact evaluation findings.
•    Advisory. Provide advice and recommendations to policymakers, businesses, and other stakeholders based on research findings.

Risk and uncertainty analysis

•    Assess the risks and uncertainties faced by agrifood systems in developing countries, such as natural disasters, market and price volatility, policy and institutional instability. 
•    Conduct statistical and econometric analysis to the short- and long-term impacts of these risks. 
•    Develop evidence-based risk management and mitigation strategies, including early warning and response systems. 
•    Support the design and implementation of risk-sensitive policies, programmes, and investment frameworks.

Food Security and Nutrition Resilience analysis

•    Analyse the drivers and determinants of food security and nutrition outcomes in FAO member countries. 
•    Apply economic and statistical tools to identify vulnerable populations and critical exposure pathways. 
•    Generate insights to inform the development of policy and programme interventions aimed at improving household and community-level resilience. 
•    Contribute to the design of resilience indicators and monitoring frameworks for tracking progress over time.

Impact evaluation and experimental approaches

•    Perform rigorous impact assessments of agrifood policies, investments, and development projects, using both ex-ante and ex-post approaches. 
•    Utilize quantitative (experimental and quasi-experimental) methodologies to assess the efficiency, effectiveness, and equity of interventions contribute to the design and implementation of Discrete Choice Experiments (DCEs) and Lab-in-the-Field (LIF) studies to explore behavioural responses, preferences, and decision-making processes among farmers and stakeholders. 
•    Identify and prioritizing high-impact investment opportunities aligned with national and subnational development goals. 
•    Communicate findings to stakeholders to support data-driven decision-making and strategic resource allocation. 

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    Master level degree in economics, econometrics, agricultural economics, development economics, statistics, mathematics, or a related field or a Bachelor’s degree with additional two years of level work experience in the same area.

•    With Master level degree a minimum of 10 years (level A), 5 years (Level B), 1 years (level C) of relevant working experience in in economic quantitative analysis of agrifood systems, including experience with advanced econometric models, management of large datasets, research on food security and rural poverty, resilience and vulnerability, including experimental approaches, impact evaluations, primary data collection and practical application in policy formulation and strategic investment prioritization within the agrifood sector, particularly in developing countries

•    With Bachelor level degree a minimum of 12 years (level A), 7 years (level B), 3 years (level C) of relevant working experience in in economic quantitative analysis of agrifood systems, including experience with advanced econometric models, management of large datasets, research on food security and rural poverty, resilience and vulnerability, including experimental approaches, impact evaluations, primary data collection and practical application in policy formulation and strategic investment prioritization within the agrifood sector, particularly in developing countries

•    Working knowledge (level C) of English.

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Extent and relevance of experience in applied research in the field of risk and agrifood systems, including experience in preparation of papers and/or reports for publication.
•    Extent and relevance of experience in economic and policy analysis of issues in agrifood systems and food security at a national, regional and/or global scale.
•    Extent and relevant experience and knowledge of the main data sources for analysing the agrifood systems, and of data compilation, validation, visualisation, and analysis.
•    Experience in primary data collection, including the design of survey instruments, sampling strategies, and proficiency in programming and deploying surveys using Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) platforms such as ODK, Survey Solutions, or similar tools.
•    Experience in designing and implementing impact evaluations, and/or experimental approaches such as DCEs and LIF studies
•    Extent and relevance of experience in conducting quantitative economic analysis, economic modelling, and applying econometric techniques in one or more of the relevant subject areas above.
•    Quality of both oral and written communication in English, including the ability to write clearly and concisely for publications.
•    Demonstrated ability to manage, analyse, and present quantitative information clearly and effectively.
•    Proficiency in using statistical software, especially R, STATA, Python or similar software.
•    Capacity to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams with minimal supervision and to plan workflows so as to meet tight deadlines.