Fair Trade Internship in the Amazon Rainforest

Project Summary

Travel to Ecuador and join a Fair Trade internship in the Mindo Cloud Forest for a unique chocolate-related project. This project focuses on sustainable economic development, cultural preservation and heritage conservation by working directly with indigenous farming families. The cocoa used is cultivated by over 100 families using traditional farming techniques and with respect to environmental conditions.

The project works with a women’s association that implements continuous education and training programs of the farmers around products like pure chocolate, flavored chocolate and other cocoa products. The association also ensure that a fair price is paid for the products and it generates incomes to sustain the local farming community.

The focus is on social empowerment, community development and environmental management in a fair trade context for vegan sustainable chocolate!

Why Choose this Project?

This Fair Trade Internship in the Amazon Rainforest project has a unique combination of environmental, social and business aspects in its work. This project calls for interns to help boost the project’s economical gains and really make a positive difference to the lives of the farmers and their families. It is an exceptional opportunity to gain experience in an ethical industry with growing potential. Your application of Spanish will demonstrate to future employers your ability to effectively communicate your ideas and adapt to different settings, as well as your drive to meet your personal goals while helping the project. Here's what you can gain:

• Experience a project with a unique combination of environmental, social and business aspects while learning about the process of chocolate making!
• Help boost the project’s economical gains and really make a positive difference to the lives of the farmers and their families.
• Gain experience in an ethical industry with growth potential as you practice your Spanish and demonstrate your ability to effectively communicate your ideas and adapt to different settings.

The Internship:

You will support the business with possible involvement in the fields of business planning, marketing and customer service. This placement is a great opportunity to learn about the whole fabrication process of one of the best chocolate in the world. Indeed, the chocolate coming from the farming community has already won awards for demonstrating excellence in sales, innovation and advanced social responsibility to the community.

Activities may include field research, manual labor, marketing, or data entry. Your tasks will vary depending on your skills and interests and the needs of the project at the time of your internship.

Funding dictates the project focus each year and past focus for interns has been on the following:  
 

• Community Development – cooperative workshops, eco-tourism project, social media activities
• Social Entrepreneurship – business planning, eco-tourism development
• Forest Conservation – wildlife monitoring, agroforestry management, composting, marketing
• Public health – test water for bacteria, survey households, monitor waste disposal
• Social impact & PR – produce a video, promote online, edit graphics and materials
• Product development and research to support the growth of income generating activities
• Water management management activities

Again, your tasks will vary depending on your skills and interests and the needs of the project at the time of your internship, so ask us about the current status of the project!

Skills Required:

This internship is geared towards undergraduate and graduate students, and industry professionals. Your focus should be on environmental science, international development, business, agriculture, or a related field. Team-working skills and flexibility are required as well as a reasonable level of fitness. Proficiency in Spanish (level B1 Intermediate User of CEFR) is required for this project as you will be working alongside local people. You will receive feedback about your placement. Please bring a laptop to record your progress during your internship placement.

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