Background
Founded in 2002, CSM is a Not-for-Profit Organisation that has been an early proponent of business and multi-stakeholder engagement in Climate Action in India. CSM has systematically worked in the field of Climate Change Response, Sustainable Agriculture and Responsible Business conduct by- publishing extensive research, creating learning material, organizing education and awareness activities on climate change, corporate social responsibility and sustainability practices.
Over the past decade CSM has been developing a programmatic approach in these areas and is incubating the Fairtrade India Project for developing sustainable and equitable food and fashion systems in India; working on just transition roadmaps for decarbonisation by textiles sector MSMEs; developing an integrated sustainable value-chain with the tribal community of Andhra Pradesh and undertaking education campaigns related to SDG12, Fairtrade and adoption of sustainable practices by businesses, institutions and citizens. CSM aims to create an eco-system of businesses, farmer organisations, government agencies, institutions and citizens who will champion and mainstream sustainability in India. visit: https://csmworld.org/
CSM under its project for “Developing an integrated sustainable value-chain with the tribal communities of Andhra Pradesh” is supporting the community in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) District and Andhra Pradesh to develop Fairtrade and Organic Certified coffee and spice value chains.
Key Responsibilities
• Training and Capacity Building
- Collate, document and design training material on package of practices for improving productivity, quality, disease and pest management
- Deliver advanced training programs for field staff and lead farmers (Master Trainers) on organic, natural farming, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices as well as Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for productivity and quality improvement
- Collate and develop training materials, including videos, presentations, posters, calendars and manuals, in simple local language for better comprehension by farmers and field staff
- Organize capacity-building workshops by collaborating with agricultural research stations, KVKs, and other relevant organizations.
- Support crop and Soil management condition technical evaluations and development of relevant practices as required.
- Identify and develop techniques using locally available materials to improve soil fertility pest management and improving crop quality and yield.
- Formulate crop-specific packages of practices (POP) and monthly schedules for farmers to follow.
- Explore and develop herbal pest control measures and share innovative solutions with farmers.
- Provide field trainings and farmer, SHG and organisation level training related to implementation and adoption of Organic and Fair Trade Certification.
• Field Operations and Monitoring
- Validate farm activities to ensure compliance with NPOP (India), NOP (USA), and Fair Trade standards.
- Regularly visit fields to monitor crop growth, assess pest risks, and provide immediate solutions for identified challenges.
- Build relationships with progressive, active or lead farmers, ensuring timely implementation of farming activities and showcasing their farms for demonstrations.
- Develop local micro input centres through Farmer Interest Groups (FIGs).
• Farmer Engagement and Impact Assessment
- Monitor farmer participation in training programs and assess their impact on farm productivity and sustainability.
- Ensure farmer records and diaries are maintained and updated regularly for certification and compliance purposes.
- Identify and implement innovative ways to educate farmers, including short Telugu videos and other multimedia resources.
- Quality & productivity improvement programs
- For coffee and spices grown local develop and implement POP to improve quality and productivity of the crops.
- Identify interventions such as suitable seeds; crop management, harvest and post-harvest POP for improving quality and productivity.
• Compliance and Documentation
- Guide field staff in planning and conducting field-level trainings in alignment with certification standards.
- Maintain accurate documentation of all training sessions, including participant feedback, photos, videos, and other evidence for audits.
- Prepare and organize all necessary documentation for external inspections for Organic and Fair Trade certifications.
- Forecasting and Problem-Solving
- Anticipate potential pest or environmental threats to crops and prepare preventive and control measures.
- Share regular updates on organic and Fair Trade standards with office management and stakeholders.
- Community Awareness and Social Responsibility
- Develop and deliver awareness programs on health, hygiene, social responsibility, and related topics for farmers and the local community.
- Work collaboratively to organize additional training on spices, coffee, horticulture, and other relevant areas to benefit farmers.
Qualifications and Skills
- Education: Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, or a related field.
- Experience in Certification and implementation of Organic standards is preferred.
- Experience: Minimum 3 to 5 years of experience in training and implementing organic and IPM practices, with knowledge of certification processes.
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage rural communities.
- Proficiency in developing and delivering training programs in local languages.
- Organizational skills for managing records, compliance, and reporting.
This position is vital for ensuring effective training delivery, compliance with certification standards, and the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices by farmers.
The Agriculture Trainer plays a pivotal role in bridging knowledge gaps and fostering community development.
Application Process:
Please send your resume to info@csmworld.org by the 19th June 2026. Due to the number of applications it would be difficult to respond to each application individually. However applicants making to the next stage of selection would be contacted directly.