Asociacion ANDES (Association for Nature and Sustainable Development)

ANDES is a non-profit association involved in: Struggle and relief from poverty Biodiversity management Recongnition and strengthening of communal traditional rights on biocultural resources, and Promotion of institutional changes and policies relevant to conservation and development.   This work takes into account the considerations of: Gender, Conservation, Sustainability and Participative processes.   To that effect ANDES: Works cooperatively with indigenous organizations at the communal level in the development of adaptive models of indigenous biocultural heritage that affirm the rights and reponsibilities of the communities and that strengthen food sovereignty and local sustainability. Utilizes communal development strategies based on the Andean cosmovision and traditional values in an effort that the interventions are holistic, democratic, participative and efective locally.   In recent years ANDES has become in a nationally and internationally recognized organization in the area of defense of indigenous rights on genetic resources, traditional knowledge and the protection and conservation of centers of origin of native Andean crops and landscape. ANDES is a pioneer in the promotion and establishment of Biocultural Heritages Areas, based on an innovative strategy that combines conservation and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity and landscape in the development of new strategies of local sustenance and poverty reduction.