Application deadline: 16 September 2025
Countries of focus: Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia
Implementing partners: African Forest Forum (AFF) & Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)

Introduction

The African Forest Forum (AFF), in partnership with AGRA, is seeking an experienced consultant to conduct a context and compliance analysis of commodities regulated under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

This consultancy is part of the project “Scaling Youth-Led Climate Innovations for a Greener Africa: enhancing Compliance with EUDR through Sustainable Land Management and Landscape Restoration”, which aims to:

  • Empower African youth to engage with and comply with global trade regulations.
  • Build capacity for EUDR-aligned businesses and climate-smart innovations.
  • Strengthen policy and institutional environments for sustainable enterprises.

Why this matters

The EUDR requires that products entering the EU market are deforestation-free and legally produced. While this offers new opportunities for African commodities, it also presents challenges—particularly for youth and smallholder farmers whose livelihoods depend on forestry and agriculture.

Without adequate preparation, many youth-led enterprises risk exclusion from EU markets due to lack of traceability systems, certification, or compliance mechanisms. This consultancy will help bridge that gap by generating youth-responsive knowledge and strategies to enhance compliance, resilience, and inclusive growth.

Objectives

The study will:

  • Assess the level of preparedness for EUDR compliance in Ghana, Kenya, and Ethiopia.
  • Analyze impacts on youth livelihoods and opportunities in forest and agricultural value chains.
  • Generate practical guidelines and knowledge products tailored for youth-led enterprises.
    Propose actionable EUDR response strategies that balance trade compliance with climate-smart business growth.

Consultant’s tasks

The selected consultant will:

The consultant will:

  • Develop a methodology and protocol for collection of data for the three countries for the study of the key EUDR-regulated products
  • Review the extent and the trade volume of the EUDR products and other deforestation driving products in perspective, their impact on deforestation and youth employment benefits in the three countries
  • Identify and analyze how existing policy/institutional frameworks, data sets, skill sets, standards/certification schemes support the compliance process in relation to EUDR products and their supply chains.
  • Review existing national and regional actions dealing with traceability, due diligence and capacity building arrangements and partnerships
  • Conduct capacity assessment, including associated institutional structures and data infrastructure in place, comparing capacity gaps with respect to compliance with EUDR
  • Review documents and interview key actors on the processes, challenges and enabling mechanisms to implement EUDR
  • Conduct country study analyzing and documenting the preparations, capacity level, capacity development needs, data availability for tracing commodities, feasibility, scalability and links to markets

Deliverables

  • Inception Report (detailing methodology and work plan)
  • Produce three standalone draft country-specific study reports explicitly showing the extent of preparations for EUDR compliance, capacity level and capacity development needs, traceability (production geolocation, production date, production details, data access arrangements), feasibility, scalability and links to markets
  • Final report incorporating feedback from AFF and relevant stakeholders
  • EUDR response strategy for each country along with policy recommendations

Minimum qualifications

  • MSc Degree in Natural Resource Economics, Public Policy, Forestry, Environmental Studies, Development Studies, statistics or related field. PhD is an advantage.
  • 10 years of demonstrated experience in policy impact assessment, policy analysis, baseline studies, the economics of relevant commodity supply chains (such as palm oil, cocoa, coffee, soy, cashew etc,) including the role of chain of custody/traceability systems particularly in the three countries stated above
  • Experience in performing thematic policy analysis and policy options assessment at continental level is desirable
  • Demonstrated experience in forest policy, agribusiness, international trade, and socio-economic assessments in Africa particularly Ethiopia, Ghana and Kenya.
  • Knowledge and experience working on EUDR or similar sustainability and standardization regulations.
  • Strong report writing and analytical skills in English Language.

Duration of assignment

The tasks in this ToRs are for two person‐months of workload, commencing on 25 September 2025. The consultant shall work from their location but be in close consultation with relevant staff at the AFF Secretariat while keeping to agreed delivery schedule.

How to apply

Please email, quoting the title and number of this consultancy on the subject line and attach a proposal containing:

  • Cover letter stating how you meet the above qualifications and experience requirements.
  • A methodological note (of 4 pages max) indicating for each key result area, corresponding specific activities and methodology for executing them;
  • A draft work plan (clear deliverables plotted against work weeks for each key result);
  • A tentative table of contents for the technical report with corresponding number of pages; and
  • An updated CV.

Please apply, with the subject line: “CONSULTANCY SERVICES “Context and Compliance Analysis of EUDR-Regulated Commodities for generations of youth-responsive knowledge and climate smart businesses in Africa” and submit your application to Tefera Belay Endalamaw at t.endalamaw@cifor-icraf.org, Doris Mutta at d.mutta@cifor-icraf.org, with a copy to exec.sec@afforum.org

Application deadline is 16th September 2025. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

For more information, download:

Consultancy
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