In recent years, Ecuador has experienced a profound crisis that has hit hardest the segments of the population that have historically been excluded, such as indigenous peoples, Afro-Ecuadorians, the peasantry and working classes, and women, among others.

The country is characterized by the absence of an equitable land distribution policy and by a lack of land titles and property guarantees—data from LANDex show that funding for land formalization and institutional support to recognize and formalize the various tenure systems are limited. Land concentration and conflicts over land between indigenous groups and communities and the extractive industries persist.

Constant changes in leadership and a lack of institutional capacity reduce the chances of implementing a land and territory policy that prioritizes people and food sovereignty. Added to this is the regressive policy of recent governments in response to the limited progress on agrarian issues that occurred during Rafael Correa’s decade in office (2007–2017).

Thanks to the work of the CNT and other stakeholders, the Mojan Area for Conservation and Sustainable Use (ACUS) was established through a participatory process of territorial governance. This helps reduce the vulnerability of local populations to the effects of climate change and ensures access to water for nearly 200,000 people.

It has also contributed to the formulation of community land regulations aimed at strengthening indigenous justice and resolving territorial conflicts, as well as to the establishment of the Public Consortium of Decentralized Autonomous Governments (GAD) of the Ancestral Territory of Imbabura and Carchi, among other achievements.