Volunteer Farming and Agriculture Projects | Sustainable Farming Abroad

Help protect and preserve forests and farmlands, and study food, agriculture, and rural life when you join NGOs, universities, and independent growers on a sustainable farming experience abroad. You’ll learn that all farmland is not created equal, and farming today is more than just producing crops. 

It’s about business management as much as it is about animal or crop production.

How Can You Get Involved with Sustainable Agriculture?

There are many ways to get involved with farming and agriculture by interning and volunteering abroad.

Learn about sustainable farming production when you volunteer to work on an organic farm in either Costa Rica or Guatemala with Maximo Nivel. Agriculture employs more than one-third of the population in Latin America, but working conditions and the environmental impact can be less than ideal. Help with alternative programs that emphasize and teach eco-agriculture and responsible farming for coffee growers in Costa Rica, or macadamia growers in Guatemala.

Service-learning projects are an active way to educate yourself while providing assistance to others in need, and you’ll gain practical experience on a reforestation project in Kenya with African Impact, or by working on organic farms in Costa Rica.

Spending time in the field and researching sustainable, organic agricultural techniques can lead to a variety of careers, including consulting, farming, management, and research. Keep reading to learn more about volunteer programs and internships that will help you accomplish your goals while helping to improve the world.

Featured Volunteer and Intern Abroad Programs

International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ)

Volunteering in sustainable farming and agriculture offers an incredible opportunity to support communities, learn hands-on skills, and contribute to sustainable food production. 

• Sustainable Farming Volunteering in Rome, Italy: This program allows volunteers to engage in various seasonal tasks on farms around Rome, working alongside migrants, refugees, people with disabilities, and more. Activities range from cultivating vegetables and beekeeping to running craft workshops and urban redevelopment projects. Volunteers also participate in multicultural cooking sessions and learn about Mediterranean plant species.
• Sustainable Agriculture Volunteer Program in Nepal: Volunteers in Nepal assist small-scale farming families, gaining valuable experience while introducing new techniques to help improve productivity. Tasks include clearing land, cultivating crops, caring for livestock, and helping with farm maintenance. For volunteers with relevant experience, there’s also the opportunity to support agribusiness efforts.
• Sustainable Agriculture & Gardening Volunteer Program in the Galapagos Islands: Volunteers will work with local farmers to introduce sustainable tropical agriculture techniques and greenhouse farming. Tasks include tree planting, harvesting crops, livestock care, and prepping for farmers’ markets. While enjoying the lush volcanic landscapes, volunteers also help reduce waste and costs for the local community.
• Sustainable Agriculture & Community Development in Jamaica: Volunteers in Jamaica can either work at a ranch specializing in goat farming or help young people engage in farming, beekeeping, and soap making. The program aims to create income opportunities for the community and teach sustainable practices.
• Agriculture Volunteer Program in Ghana: In Ghana, volunteers assist local farmers with crops and livestock, contributing to the sustainable food supply for childcare programs. Tasks include crop planting, animal care, land preparation, and teaching farming techniques to locals. This hands-on experience helps boost agricultural production for the community.
• Sustainable Agriculture Volunteer Program in Tanzania: In Tanzania, volunteers work with smallholder farmers, assisting in seedbed preparation, transplanting, weeding, and biopesticide creation. The project helps boost crop yields and ensures food security for the local community. Volunteers will experience rural Tanzanian life while contributing to environmental conservation.

These projects offer an amazing chance to learn sustainable farming techniques, contribute to local communities, and immerse yourself in unique cultures around the world.

GoEco

Join GoEco’s Sustainable Organic Coffee Farming project and support local farmers while protecting the environment! You’ll assist with growing, harvesting, and processing fair-trade, organic coffee, vital to Costa Rica’s culture and economy. Live with a host family, improve your Spanish, and explore Costa Rica’s incredible landscapes on the weekends—hike, zipline, or relax at the beach.

Program highlights include working on family-owned farms, learning the coffee-making process from bean to cup, and contributing to eco-friendly agriculture. Volunteers typically work 4-6 hours a day, with weekends free to explore.

Maximo Nivel

Maximo Nivel provides volunteer opportunities, international internships, gap year placements, Spanish-language immersion programs, TEFL certifications, and adventure travel in Latin America. With programs in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru, Maximo Nivel is internationally accredited, and university credit is available for most programs. 

Since 2003, Maximo Nivel has been a leader in educational travel, hosting students, travelers, adventurers, volunteers, and faculty from around the globe. They have a great Eco-Agriculture program to check out!

Volunteer with Maximo Nivel in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a safe, peaceful nation with progressive environmental and social policies and a great place for a volunteer placement with Maximo Nivel. Situated in Central America between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, Costa Rica has more than 1,000 miles of beautiful beaches, some with black sand, thanks to the chain of volcanoes and mountains of the Andean-Sierra Madre chain. There is world-class surfing, scuba diving, and snorkeling found here.

You’ll work with coffee growers in the Monteverde Cloud Forest region of the Talamanca Mountains, gaining hands-on experience in every step of coffee production, from picking, weeding, roasting beans, and even packaging coffee. Other tasks include planting shade trees and helping with reforestation efforts. You’ll work about four hours per day, Monday through Friday, and you’ll need to be at least 17 years old, willing to take on seasonal tasks according to the project needs, healthy and fit, flexible about working in a rural setting, and hardworking and positive.

Volunteers work at offsite projects several hours away from Maximo Nivel’s headquarters, with limited access to the internet, but phone service is available. The field manager checks in throughout your stay, in person and by phone. The Spanish language is not required for this placement, and you are invited to stay one week or longer. Learn more here!

Volunteer with Maximo Nivel in Guatemala

Guatemala is a historically significant country in Central America, once home to Mayans, then Spanish Conquistadors, and now the Guatemaltecos, who are proud of their indigenous cultures. The name means “Land of Many Trees,” and its abundant and diverse ecosystem makes it a popular destination for people with an interest in conservation and sustainable practices. Antigua is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Mayan ruins and its colonial architecture. It’s a popular tourist destination and there are great little shops and boutiques where you can buy souvenirs and traditional ceramics, textiles, and handicrafts.

Learn about and support responsible farming methods in Guatemala, helping coffee and macadamia nut growers near Antiqua reduce threats to the environment and to the people who consume their products. When you volunteer with Maximo Nivel on an organic farming placement, you’ll help with every step of the production process, including planting, harvesting, processing, and packaging. Volunteers are in the fields about four hours per day, Monday through Friday, and registration requirements are similar to Maximo Nivel’s Costa Rica farming volunteer program above.

Volunteers work at farms close to the Maximo Nivel Institute, just outside of the city of Antigua. Staff visit the placement sites and check on you during your stay, and you can volunteer for one week or longer. Click here to apply!

Volunteer with Maximo Nivel in Peru

Volunteer on eco-agriculture projects in Peru’s breathtaking Sacred Valley and the Huyro Region, nestled in the Amazon highlands. These projects are about an hour and three hours away, respectively, from Maximo Nivel’s base in Cusco. As a volunteer, you’ll collaborate with local farmers who grow tea, coffee, and cacao, contributing to sustainable farming practices and environmental preservation. 

You’ll be involved in every stage of the production process, from planting to harvesting, and also help with reforestation efforts and community activities. Experience authentic Peruvian farm life while working alongside locals to produce some of the finest tea, coffee, and chocolate.

Projects Abroad

Projects Abroad offers a wide selection of volunteer opportunities overseas, from teaching to international development and much more in between. Founded in 1992, Projects Abroad sends more than 10,000 people on a variety of service projects and internships annually, immersing them in the language and culture of their chosen host country, while having a meaningful impact on the lives of its residents.

Project types range from volunteering, internships, high school specials, alternative spring breaks, gap years, language courses, and projects for professionals.

Community and Farming Volunteer Work in Fiji

Immerse yourself in a traditional Fijian village! During this wonderful project, you’ll do a wide range of tasks that benefit the community, including:

• Teaching at a local school: Support the local education system and help improve the future prospects of the youth. 
• Working on farming and gardening projects: Learn more about agriculture as you help grow food and manage resources for the community. 
• Doing village maintenance: Want to get your hands dirty? Perform basic repairs, assist with basket weaving, clean facilities, and more. 

During the community and farming volunteer program in Fiji, you’ll stay with a host family and help with cooking and cleaning. You’ll also play with the younger children. Since many local families practice some form of subsistence farming, you’ll do a lot of work in the family garden as well. And you’ll get to eat some of that food you grow!

During free time, the beauty of Fiji awaits. Relax on the beach, socialize with locals, visit the rainbow-colored Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple, shop for handmade pottery in Nadi, and more. 

Interested in making the trip to Fiji? Learn more and apply here!

Khmer Cultural Immersion and Farming Project in Cambodia for Volunteers Over 50

Projects Abroad has volunteer farming and agricultural programs for all age groups, including those over 50 and seniors. For this cultural immersion and farming volunteer project in Cambodia, you’ll immerse yourself in local life and work for the community.

Cultural immersion activities include learning Khmer words and phrases, taking part in a cooking class, and learning the history of the Cambodian genocide carried out by the Khmer Rouge. When you volunteer on the farm, you’ll work in the fields, helping with planting and picking crops. Your work goes a long way in feeding local families! Another job you’ll have is to teach English to children. 

This project is based in and around Phnom Penh, the bustling capital of Cambodia. Shop at Central Market, visit the Buddhist temples, and sample the cuisine! You’ll have time for side trips as well. Be sure to make the trip to Angkor Wat!

Ready for an epic adventure to Cambodia? Book your trip here!

African Impact

Immerse yourself in Kenya’s stunning biodiversity by volunteering in reforestation and conservation efforts. In Limuru, a picturesque town nestled along the Great Rift Valley, you’ll support the restoration of ancient forests, helping to maintain Kenya’s natural beauty. Your tasks will include removing invasive species, collecting and propagating native seeds, and preserving forest trails.

Work alongside local women’s groups, farm workers, and youth to foster environmental awareness and sustainable living. You’ll engage with the community, teaching youth about environmental conservation and participating in tree-planting initiatives that promote forest regeneration. This project also offers a chance to contribute to sustainable practices like rainwater harvesting and organic vegetable gardens.

Involvement Volunteers International (IVI)

IVI offers a range of impactful farming and conservation projects that anyone can join—no experience needed. 

• Agriculture and Farming in Cambodia: Teach sustainable farming techniques to local farmers, work on agricultural projects, and immerse yourself in Cambodian countryside life.
• Eco Farming & Agriculture in Guatemala: Assist on coffee and macadamia nut farms, learn sustainable farming methods, and be a part of reforestation projects in the stunning Antigua region.
• Sustainable Farming in Costa Rica: Volunteer on coffee farms in rural Costa Rica, helping with everything from planting to harvesting, while educating the community on sustainable land use.
• Agriculture and Farming in Japan: Work alongside local farmers in the scenic village of Otaki, helping with planting, harvesting, and processing crops while learning about traditional Japanese farming practices.
• Farming and Agriculture in Tanzania: Help empower small-scale farmers in Arusha by introducing modern farming techniques and promoting environmental conservation.

IVI focuses on making a real impact, has 35+ years of experience, and offers affordable, flexible programs. Volunteers stay in comfortable accommodations and experience authentic local culture.

Ready to Roll Up Your Sleeves?

If you have an interest in agriculture, permaculture, organic farming, or forestry, there are numerous global projects to choose from, each with an emphasis on sustainable techniques and greenhouse technology.

Gain insight into farming methods that work in rural areas, and how reforestation of the rainforests can help save a planet in peril. Learn how to live, and grow, in harmony with nature on a volunteer project this year!