Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chapter 3
ecodependents, ecoresisters, and ecoentrepreneurs. These categories were first created based
on funding sources, but also took into consideration the level of organization, main agenda,
types of projects, relationship to the state, the public view, and their position on the trajectory
of development.
abroad. They are an international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) who are based
usually in the Global North, but who have offices set up in other cities, such as Quito. INGOs use
their resources mainly for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Many
environmentalists oppose INGOs because they bypass Ecuadorian organizations and create
their own agenda, ignoring Ecuadors environmental goals. For example, The Nature
Conservancy is believed to buy land as a means of controlling water resources and to create
percent of their budget from ecoimperalist organizations. These organizations are well known,
fit into the economic political framework of the country, and have been overall successful in
carrying out projects. Although they are successful in their projects, the inconsistency in
funding is a challenge and organizations will continually boom and bust. In addition,
ecodependent organizations often change their agendas to fit into framework of imperialist
organizations. Since ecoimperalist organizations mainly focus on conservations and sustainable
development, ecodependent organizations have to change their priorities to match that or they
risk losing funds. The leading national groups, such as Fundacion Natura, EcoCiencia and Jatun
Sacha, are sometimes viewed with skepticism by Ecuadorians because they are under the
control of INGOs.
The third type of environmentalism, ecoresisters, create their own agenda, utilize
volunteers instead of paid professionals and staff, and work at the local or regional level.
Ecoresisters deal with environment versus development. They stand in the way of the
treadmill or production by resisting economic growth through extraction, but they also
recognize that people need to make a living and create self-sustaining economic activities for
the communities. Ecoresisters are not strictly environmental, but are more concerned with
buen vivir and protecting the environment to protect the people. For instance, the Defensa y
Conservacion Ecologica de Intag (DECOIN) prevented copper mining in the cloud forests and
created alternative jobs for the locals such as ecotourism, shade-grown coffee cooperative, and
organizations are important because they focus on brown issues rather than green issues.
The public supports these types of organizations because they work on local issues such as
access to clean water, green spaces, human health, and other anthropogenic issues. Fondo para
la Proteccion del Agua(FONAG), is a public-private organization that collects funds from users
and then distributes the funds to other organization to protect the watershed and keep Quitos
environmental organizations. Each organization serves a purpose, and together all of them
should be able to make an impact in their own way. Although Ecuadorians may view
ecoimperalist organizations negatively, they are necessary. The Parks in Peril program, which
protected and conserved almost 45 million acres of biologically critical ecosystems, would not
have been possible without the 62 million dollars provided by USAID and TNC.
With that being said, money isnt everything and it is often passionate, dedicated
volunteers who make a difference. The ecoresisters are extremely important to Ecuadors
environmental movements because they are the voice of the people. Large INGOs and NGOs
can use all the funding to protect the environment, but it is the ecoresisters who voice their
opinion on extractive development to stand up to the government. Small, local victories made by
the ecoresisters are equally as important to the environment as the accomplishments of larger,
Living in the United States, I take access to clean drinking water and green spaces for
granted. Although the Nature Conservancy is an INGO which are mostly opposed by Ecuadorians,
they are currently working in five water funds, including Quitos water fund (FONAG) and
Guayaquils water fund. They have invested 3.5 million dollars each year to protect watersheds
and improve water quality (Echoarria, 2002). Although the chapter presents the idea that INGOs
are mainly concerned with biodiversity conservation, it is important that they continue to work
for human rights as well. This would give them a better reputation among the Ecuadorian people.
The strength of the state is important, but the goals of the state are critical to the
environmentalism in Ecuador. Ecuador has varied from weak to strong over time. Weak states
can be manipulated by other countries, with INGOs and transnational donors, because they are
not accomplishing their own goals. Weak states also leave it up to NGOs and other organizations
to take control of their sector and create laws and regulations, even though they are rarely
enforced. Lewis states, Strong states can move their own ideological goals forward, whether
that be pro-sustainability or pro-extraction (14). A strong state can do a lot of good for the
environment, just as it can do bad. The strength of the state through the years as well as the
environmental goals of the state was very important to the trajectory path that Ecuador followed
Quito, Ecuador. In Selling Forest Environmental Services (pp. 91-103). Sterling, VA: Earthscan