Fair Trade Production Internship, Ecuador

Internships are available with small farming cooperatives working towards Fairtrade certification, as part of CRACYP’s sustainable rural development work in the Ecuadorian Andes. 

CRACYP (which stands for Rural Reforestation and Progress Network Corporation, in Spanish) is a non profit organisation working in over 200 communities on the borders of the Cotopaxi, Bolivar and Los Rios provinces in Ecuador.  

CRACYP’s aim is "Progreso Verde" or "Green Progress" - conservation of the environment and economic and social development of local communities.  We aim to transfer appropriate technology and sustainable alternative agricultural methods, in exchange for community participation in reforestation.  This process also increases the production alternatives and resources of the communities involved, improving their quality of life.  

An organic sugarcane farming cooperative is developing mature rum with organic certification and wants to market it on a fair trade basis.  They are about to start construction on the “cava” to mature the rum, so will need a marketing strategy, quality control systems and more.  A cacao farmers’ consortium is producing organic chocolate, which it is already exporting to a chain of fair trade stores in Italy, but wants formal fair trade certification for more of its members, and more markets.

These are great opportunities for a student or graduate to gain practical field experience in rural development and fair trade production.  There are various options available, from developing marketing strategies to improving local conditions, creating monitoring frameworks and improving quality.  As well as helping the respective project move towards meeting fair trade requirements and conditions, interns will also participate in monthly development workshops. 

Interns will be based in an organic sugar cane farming community in the foothills of theAndes, a beautiful area with a subtropical climate. 

More details:  http://www.progresoverde.org/internship.html or email internship.ecuador@yahoo.co.uk.  Please quote reference SDFaiSep11 when you apply.