Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos - ECOAN

What Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos - ECOAN does

Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN) is a Peruvian non-governmental conservation organization founded circa 2000 and headquartered in Cusco, with a regional operations office in Amazonas and field presence across at least nine Peruvian departments. The organization restores Andean and Amazonian ecosystems alongside 200+ indigenous and peasant communities through programs that span biodiversity protection, Polylepis and bofedal reforestation at high altitudes (3,500–5,000 m), and the establishment and management of Private Conservation Areas (ACPs), Regional Conservation Areas (ACRs), and Environmental Conservation Areas (ACAs).

Its core service portfolio includes (1) Acción Andina — a six-country regional restoration movement co-founded in 2017 with Global Forest Generation, reporting 12.3M+ native trees planted and 185,000 ha under restoration through 450+ community nurseries; (2) the Peru implementation of the international Conserva Aves initiative under BirdLife International, supporting 14+ local partner NGOs across subnational protected-area creation; (3) the national Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) program, having identified 236 KBAs covering 45+ million hectares (35% of Peruvian territory) in collaboration with the Natural History Museum of UNMSM and 130+ experts; (4) aviturismo (birdwatching tourism) training and bioeconomy development in San Martín and Amazonas; and (5) community capacity building in biological monitoring, wildfire prevention, and gender-inclusive conservation.

ECOAN employs 27 people and is funded through project-based grants from international institutional donors — including the Government of Canada (Global Affairs Canada), the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), and the Bezos Earth Fund — supplemented by public donations and ecotourism revenue through its ECOAN Tours sub-brand. Its founder and president, Constantino Aucca, was recognized as a 2024 UN Champion of the Earth, and Acción Andina won the 2024 Earthshot Prize and UN Decade World Emblematic Restoration Initiative designation.

Name

Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos - ECOAN

Legal name

Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos

Website

https://ecoanperu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN) is a Peruvian conservation NGO founded circa 2000 that restores Andean and Amazonian ecosystems alongside 200+ indigenous and peasant communities, operating the six-country Acción Andina movement and Peru's Conserva Aves implementation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (113210), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Forestry (800), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Services (Restoration, Wildlife-Safe Operations) (THAAANAH), Community-Based & Indigenous-Led Ecotourism (THAAAEAH), Eco-Tours & Sustainable Nature Travel (THAJAIAD)

Keywords

• Ecosystem restoration
• Biodiversity conservation
• Community-based conservation
• Protected area management
• Ecotourism services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cusco

HQ country

Peru

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grants and donations from international organizations: ECOAN receives funding from international organizations and governments including the Government of Canada (Global Affairs Canada), CEPF (Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund), Bezos Earth Fund, and others for specific conservation projects and programs.
2. Ecotourism operations (ECOAN Tours): ECOAN operates its own ecotourism business (ECOAN Tours), including Vilcanota Trek, offering nature-based tourism experiences that generate revenue while promoting conservation awareness.
3. Public donations: ECOAN solicits public donations through its website to support tree planting, ecosystem restoration, and species protection activities.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ECOAN is a Peruvian conservation NGO that protects and restores Andean and Amazonian ecosystems through community-based programs. Its core offerings include ecosystem restoration (Acción Andina, which has planted 12.3M+ native trees across six countries), biodiversity conservation via the Conserva Aves initiative, technical support for establishing and managing Private Conservation Areas (ACPs), and KBA identification. The organization also operates ecotourism services (ECOAN Tours), delivers community capacity building, and integrates ancestral knowledge with scientific methodologies including a plastic-free restoration approach.

Product overview

ECOAN is a Peruvian conservation NGO (25 years old) offering community-based ecosystem conservation services rather than a traditional technology product. Its core offerings center on biodiversity conservation, Andean forest restoration (via Acción Andina), and protected area management. Key programs include Conserva Aves (bird habitat protection), Ávila Andina restoration (12.3M+ trees planted), KBA identification services, local guide training in aviturismo, and community capacity building. The organization also provides technical assistance for Private Conservation Area (ACP) establishment including Master Plans, biological monitoring, and financial sustainability. Supporting services include gender inclusion policy development, participatory biological monitoring, forest fire prevention equipment, and ecotourism (Vilcanota Trek). These services work together as an integrated conservation approach, combining scientific methods, ancestral knowledge, and community leadership to protect Peru's most valuable ecosystems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Acción Andina: A regional forest restoration movement co-founded by ECOAN (through Constantino Aucca) and Global Forest Generation, focused on restoring Andean ecosystems across six countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru).
• ECOAN Tours
• Conserva Aves

Products and services

• Restauración de Ecosistemas (Acción Andina) Flagship regional restoration initiative cofounded in 2017, working across six Andean countries (Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile) to restore native high-Andean forests, p\u00e1ramos, and wetlands. Has planted over 12.3 million native trees and restored 185,000 hectares, recognized by the UN as one of seven Emblematic Initiatives of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and winner of the Earthshot Prize.
• Conserva Aves International initiative implemented in Peru by ECOAN (as BirdLife partner) and Profonanpe (as RedLAC partner), focused on creating and strengthening subnational protected areas to safeguard threatened, endemic, and migratory birds and their habitats across Latin America. ECOAN leads capacity building for local partners and directly supports 4 ACPs.
• Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) Identification Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 12.3 million+ native trees planted; 185,000 hectares under active restoration
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Global Forest Generation (GFG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017GFG was co-founded with ECOAN to create Acción Andina. GFG provides scientific oversight and strategic direction to the Action Andina program, which has grown into a multi-country restoration movement across 6 Andean nations.
• BirdLife InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECOAN is the BirdLife International partner in Peru, implementing the Conserva Aves initiative and leading the identification of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) nationally. This partnership provides access to global conservation networks, scientific standards, and international funding.
• ProfonanpecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfonanpe serves as ECOAN's national partner in implementing the Conserva Aves initiative in Peru. Together they provide capacity building to local conservation organizations for the creation and management of subnational protected areas.
• American Bird Conservancy (ABC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABC leads the international Conserva Aves initiative together with Audubon, BirdLife International, Birds Canada, and RedLAC. ECOAN serves as the Peru implementation partner.
• National Audubon Society (Audubon)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAudubon is a co-leader of the international Conserva Aves initiative. ECOAN operates as Audubon and BirdLife's implementing partner in Peru.
• Birds CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBirds Canada co-leads the international Conserva Aves initiative. ECOAN partners through the Peru implementation of the initiative.
• Red de Fondos Ambientales de Latinoamérica y del Caribe (RedLAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRedLAC co-leads the Conserva Aves initiative, with Profonanpe serving as its Peru member. ECOAN collaborates through the joint initiative structure.
• ProPurúscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProPurús is ECOAN's local partner in Ucayali, working with indigenous communities to establish private conservation areas. ECOAN provides capacity building and master plan support to ProPurús and its partner communities.
• Islas de Paz PerúcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIslas de Paz Perú is the local partner for the Conserva Aves initiative in Huánuco, working with the Cochabamba community to expand ACP Unchog. ECOAN provides technical guidance and master plan training.
• Conservación e Investigación Ambiental (CIAM)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCIAM is a local Conserva Aves partner working on the recognition of ACP Nevado de Tunsho in Junín, with support from ECOAN and Profonanpe.
• ANECAP (Asociación Nacional de Ejecutores de Contratos de Administración de las Reservas Comunales del Perú)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerANECAP is a Conserva Aves local partner working on strengthening women's participation in the establishment of the Bajo Putumayo Yaguas Communal Reserve in Loreto.
• Asociación Peruana para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (APECO)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAPECO is a local partner seeking recognition of the ACP Aguajales de la Comunidad Nativa Candungos in Amazonas under the Conserva Aves initiative.
• Naturaleza y Cultura Internacional (NCI)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNCI is a local partner working on the establishment of ACR Bosques Montanos de Huamantanga y Chorro Blanco to increase ecosystem connectivity in the Northern Andes Conservation Corridor.
• YunkawasisecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerYunkawasi is a local partner working on the establishment of ACR Bosques Nublados de Mayunmarca in Ayacucho under the Conserva Aves initiative.
• Museo de Historia Natural – UNMSMsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerECOAN collaborated with the Natural History Museum of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos for the identification and reevaluation of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in Peru (2022–2023), involving over 130 national experts.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• WWF (World Wildlife Fund): One of the largest global conservation organizations with extensive Andean programs and Indigenous-community work. Competes with ECOAN for high-profile donor funding while pursuing overlapping forest-restoration and species-protection objectives.
• Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS): Global conservation NGO with major Andean and Amazonian programs. Overlaps with ECOAN in biodiversity surveys, protected-area support, and Indigenous-community partnerships, but operates at significantly larger scale.
• Conservation International: One of the largest global conservation NGOs and a CEPF co-sponsor. Operates overlapping programs in biodiversity hotspots including the Tropical Andes, and competes with ECOAN for the same multilateral and bilateral funding streams.
• The Nature Conservancy (TNC): One of the world's largest conservation NGOs with significant Andean and Amazonian programs. Competes with ECOAN for bilateral and philanthropic funding while pursuing overlapping forest restoration and protected-area agendas.
• National Audubon Society: Major US-based bird conservation organization and Conserva Aves co-leader. Operates overlapping bird-habitat and protected-area programs across the Americas with significantly larger institutional budgets.

Direct peers

• Acción Andina / Global Forest Generation: Co-founded with ECOAN in 2017, Acción Andina is the regional multi-country restoration movement that ECOAN helped establish. Direct organizational partner and operational twin in Andean restoration across Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
• American Bird Conservancy (ABC): Co-leads the Conserva Aves initiative alongside BirdLife and Audubon; ECOAN is ABC's implementing partner in Peru. Directly comparable as a hemispheric bird and habitat conservation NGO with grant-funded, partner-network execution.
• BirdLife International: Global bird conservation partnership of which ECOAN is the Peru partner. Operates the same KBA identification framework and Conserva Aves initiative; directly comparable as a conservation NGO operating across multiple countries with grant-dependent funding.
• ProNaturaleza (Fundación Peruana para la Conservación de la Naturaleza): Long-standing Peruvian conservation NGO working on protected-area management and biodiversity conservation across Peru. A direct national-level peer with similar mission, funding model, and policy-advocacy posture.

Regional players

• Sociedad Peruana de Ecología (SPE): Peruvian ecological society working on biodiversity research, conservation policy, and capacity building. A Peru-based peer NGO operating in overlapping scientific and conservation-policy spaces, though with a more academic orientation than ECOAN's community-implementation focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ecoanperu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecoanperu
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecoanperu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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