Acción Ecológica
Activist organization defending nature rights, food sovereignty, and opposing extractivist activities through monitoring, legal action, and community organizing.
Acción Ecológica was formally founded by a group of biology, communication, and agriculture students concerned with environmental degradation. The organization was registered with Ecuador's Ministry of Environment and has operated continuously for nearly 40 years.
Acción Ecológica played a key role in drafting Ecuador's constitutional prohibition on genetically modified organisms. They became founding members of the Latin American network for a GMO-free Latin America.
Following a national policy shift that promoted mining as a replacement for oil revenues, Ecuador opened its doors to large-scale mining, which Acción Ecológica opposed. The government attempted to shut down the organization twice during this period.
Acción Ecológica co-founded the Cabildo Cívico de Quito, a coalition of 70 urban organizations, and joined the Basura Cero network to amplify advocacy on waste, agroecology, and public space.
A legal action filed by Acción Ecológica resulted in a court ruling declaring the Machangara River a subject of rights and ordering the municipality to implement decontamination measures. The ruling is currently under appeal.
The organization operates community composting stations, agroecological gardens, and urban green corridors in Quito neighborhoods, engaging 30 families per site and partnering with local schools to close the food production and composting cycle.