Sustainable Economic & Community Development in Ecuador
Program Overview
The Fair Trade Internship in the Mindo Cloud Forest is a unique combination of sustainable development and cultural/heritage preservation. You work with indigenous families who cultivate cocoa using traditional techniques while paying respect to environmental conditions. Intern activities generally fall within various business aspects, including marketing and customer service.
The placement is with a women’s association that runs training programs for farmers. They ensure that products, such as pure and flavored chocolate, are put on the market for a fair price. This way, the local community is able to generate sustainable income.
This internship is geared toward undergraduate and graduate students, and industry professionals. Your focus should be on entrepreneurship, international development, business, food engineering, tourism, or a related field. Team working skills and flexibility are required as well as a reasonable level of fitness. Proficiency in Spanish (level A2 User of CEFR) is required since you’re working alongside local people. Please bring a laptop to record your progress during the program.
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Program Highlights
What's Included
Quick Details
- 1-3 Months
- 3-6 Months
- Business
- Development
- Sustainable Development
- American
- Australian
- Austrian
- Belgian
- British
- Canadian
- Cypriot
- Czech
- Danish
- Dutch
- English
- Finnish
- French
- German
- Greek
- Hawaiian
- Hungarian
- Icelandic
- Irish
- Italian
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuanian
- Maltese
- Manx
- Polish
- Scottish
- Slovak
- Slovenian
- Spanish
- Swedish
- Swiss
- The Vatican
- Welsh
Updated Jan 15, 2026
Program Details
Learn all the nitty gritty details you need to know
Locations
- Mindo, Ecuador
Eligible Nationalities
- American
- Australian
- Austrian
- Belgian
- British
- Canadian
- Cypriot
- Czech
- Danish
- Dutch
- English
- Finnish
- French
- German
- Greek
- Hawaiian
- Hungarian
- Icelandic
- Irish
- Italian
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuanian
- Maltese
- Manx
- Polish
- Scottish
- Slovak
- Slovenian
- Spanish
- Swedish
- Swiss
- The Vatican
- Welsh
- This Program is also open to Solo
Education Levels & Language
- Language
- Spanish
- Education
- Any/All Education Levels Accepted
Accommodation Options
- Home-stays
- Other
Application Procedures
- Online Application
Age Requirement
18+
Duration
- 1-3 Months
- 3-6 Months
Starts At
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FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to all the most common questions about Kaya Responsible Travel.
What is Fair Trade?
Fair trade is the term used to describe the arrangement designed to help goods and services from developing countries achieve equitable and ethical trade. This means that the producers are paid a fair wage and receive improvements in their social and environmental standards!
What support will I receive during this internship?
If you volunteer or intern with Kaya, each participant receives 24/7 support from placement advisors before and during the internship. There will also be on-the-ground support from the organisations you work with that can help with educational, recreational and even medical support while abroad.
Do I need any qualifications for this internship?
For this internship, participants should be studying or graduates of fields such as entrepreneurship, tourism, food engineering, international development, and business. All interns must have basic Spanish language knowledge (lever A2 user of CEFR).
How long is the internship?
The length of this internship starts from 8 weeks and can be extended to 12 weeks. Every week after that is £251/$392.
Do I need a visa to intern in Ecuador?
You may need to apply for a temporary resident visa or volunteer visa in Ecuador, however, if you want to be sure, you can contact our Kaya Placement Advisors or consult your government website.
Recognitions & Awards
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