Description
Researchers and Interns will work with Runa field technicians and indigenous communities to investigate and develop methods of organic agriculture. Interns will create a monitoring and evaluation system to establish costs, benefits and prevalence of chemical fertilizers and pesticides versus organic methods. From this, interns and researchers will structure an incentives system for converting to organic agriculture and work alongside farmers to develop demonstration areas for organic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.

Project Objectives

• Find out what incentives farmers have to use chemical fertilizers and pesticide
• Establish what percentages of our farmers use chemicals and who provides them
• Complete a cost/benefit analysis of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides vs. organic methods
• Structure an incentive system to encourage farmers to convert to organic agriculture
• Provide training and create demonstration areas of organic methods

Qualifications
This internship is geared towards undergraduate and graduate students majoring in environmental science, policy, business, agriculture, or a related field. Proficiency in English and Spanish is required. Experience in Latin America and/or working in a rural setting is a plus.

Current state of research
This is a new project for Fundación Runa, recently identified as a pressing issue. We are in the process of designing and building a compost demonstration area on our farm.

Intern Duties

• Field research through home stays, accompanying  field technicians and harvesting/planting guayusa with farmers
• Design a method to research the use of chemical fertilizers
• Collect data
• Create database
• Design incentive system
• Maintain compost demonstration area
• Give training sessions of organic methods for fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides