Spain

Amigos de la Tierra España (FoE Spain) was founded in 1979 and became a member of FoEI at the beginning of the 1980s.

Amigos de la Tierra (AdT) presently has 14 active local groups around the country. With a central office in Madrid, AdT also runs three information centres for the general public called Centro Iris in Galicia, Catalonia and Madrid. These provide environmental information and educational materials, give support to citizens wishing to present complaints about environmental abuses, and investigate and prepare reports on environmental issues. The centres also promote voluntary youth programmes.

Amigos de la Tierra España:

• Puts pressure on national, regional and local governments and companies to protect the environment and natural resources.
  
• Promotes local awareness of both global and local environmental problems and offers opporunities for direct action.

The main campaigns in 2002 are:

• Climate Change. The Bet has been one of FoE Spain’s most successful campaigns and will be continued in 2002.
  
• Biotechnology. FoE Spain has an active national GMO campaign, producing a regular bulletin on GMOs for the Spanish-speaking world.
  
• Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security. FoE Spain participates in the European and international campaigns as well as local activities.
• Biodiversity, centred presently on wetlands and the Ramsar meeting in Spain in November 2002.
  
• Waste reduction. Promotion of composting and better waste management systems.
  
• International Cooperation. FoE Spain continues cooperating with Third World countries by channelling Spanish and EU funding towards sustainable development projects.
  
• Youth and environmental education play an important role in FoE Spain’s activities. FoE Spain has cooperation agreements with the Spanish Youth Council and the Scouts Association.