Tierra Nativa - Friends of the Earth Argentina

Tierra Nativa was established as a response to the need for an independent organisation with local roots and technical capacity that could coordinate socio-environmental struggles from a perspective of social, economic, environmental and gender justice. The organization was promoted by activists, academics and community leaders who wanted an organisation to respond to the increasing environmental destruction in the country. Since its inception, it has been part of Friends of the Earth International, the world's largest grassroots environmental federation. Today, Tierra Nativa works especially in regions affected by mining, agribusiness and the hoarding of natural resources. The organisation supports community processes in a national context marked by a deep socio-economic crisis and a sharp regression in environmental and human rights policies promoted by the Argentinian government. In particular, it develops initiatives together with indigenous communities in the Puna de Catamarca, one of the areas most affected by the rapid expansion of lithium mining. These actions arise from the direct request of the communities, which expressed the need to strengthen their internal organisation and have their own tools to deal with the advance of extractivism, pressure from transnational companies and the absence of prior consultation. Tierra Nativa's work is structured around three areas: 1) Research and monitoring of socio-environmental conflicts and human rights violations. 2) Territorial accompaniment and community strengthening, prioritising grassroots processes. 3) Communication and advocacy, coordinating actions with social movements and participating in regional and international spaces for climate justice and human rights. Tierra Nativa also promotes alternatives such as agroecology, community management of ecosystems and the participatory development of fair and sustainable public policies.