Social Entrepreneurship with Indigenous Cacao Farmer Association

Cacao and guayusa leaf tea are two up-and-coming, major exports that are cultivated by local farmers in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Interns work with an association of indigenous farmers who implement social enterprise models to preserve their traditional forms of agriculture, protect the environment through sustainable agriculture, and enter viable markets to sell their finished products. Most associations are organic and Fair Trade certified and continue to look for innovative solutions and external financial support for their projects. This is a unique opportunity for motivated, enthusiastic interns to learn about the intersections of ancestral knowledge, environmental sustainability, and social entrepreneurship and how they relate to cultural identity and income-generation projects.

Potential activities include:

• Assist with day-to-day operations including inventory, factory work, and receiving buyers and sellers
• Assist in the factory by moving fermenting cocoa beans, turning drying cocoa beans, grinding cocoa beans, and helping with quality control
• Shadow and assist field technicians when they review farms for organic and Fair Trade re-certifications
• Manage the association’s social media pages and website, take photos, and collect testimonials from local farmers
• Research national and international markets for product distribution, including researching third parties who can support with production and exportation
• Support the association’s engagement with communities by attending events and providing chocolate and guayusa samples
• Translate documents explaining Fair Trade and organic certification requirements from English to Spanish
• Contributing to field work in farmers’ chakras (traditional agroforestry farms) by planting, weeding, and harvesting
• Guide visitors during tours by translating and explaining the association's business model, its products, and methods of production
• Organize English lessons with co-workers who are eager to advance their language skills and receive Spanish and Kichwa lessons from them as well
• Work with an association of indigenous cacao farmers who produce chocolate for national and international distribution
• Live with one of the farmers or a local farmer who produces cacao in a rural community and support them with planting and harvesting, depending on the season
• Learn about social impact marketing, sustainability, Fair Trade and organic certifications, agroforestry, and the production of chocolate from cacao plant to final product
• Contribute to market research about new local products and how to introduce them into bigger markets [e.g. guayusa leaf tea and vanilla]
• Research & dissertation support available with partner organizations and universities, if requested
• **NOTE: Specific projects change throughout the year depending on the needs of our partner organizations. The projects interns work on during their internship are based on the organization’s’ immediate needs and workflow.***+