Idéfabriken

ARBOLANDO, which means planting trees, is a grassroots non-governmental organization working in the department of Tarija in southern Bolivia.



OUR MISSION



ARBOLANDO’s mission is to reverse erosion and desertification by restoring ecological processes and environments within watersheds. We do this through public education and awareness-raising and by mobilizing people living in the department of Tarija. We believe that by improving our environment we can ultimately improve living conditions and quality of life.



OUR OBJECTIVES



Our principle objective is to promote the integrated development of our communities, taking into account productive, environmental, and human (formation and capacity-building) elements. We achieve this by:



- Starting with the resources, initiative and strength we have within our communities to create solutions to rural and urban problems.



- Developing projects that allow us to make a more effective use of our systems of production and improve the management of soil, water, and vegetation.



- Creating relationships locally, regionally and internationally that permit us to reflect upon and learn form one another’s experiences, to share resources, and to work collectively toward a form of development in line with our economic, social and ecological means.



- Improving education and the capacity to think critically about agricultural consumption and production that depends on a high use of chemicals and products harmful to our health and to the environment.