ANDES promotes institutional and policy changes to alleviate poverty while strengthening biodiversity and traditional community rights. To this end ANDES works cooperatively with indigenous organizations at the community level in developing models of adaptive management of bio-cultural heritage that affirm the rights and responsibilities of communities, and strengthen food sovereignty, health and local livelihoods. ANDES is recognized internationally in the field of indigenous rights over genetic resources, traditional knowledge and the protection and conservation of centers of origin of Andean native crops and the nature of the Andean landscape.