Law 338 on Peasant, Indigenous, and Native Economic Organisations (OECAs) and Community Economic Organizations (OECOMs) for the integration of sustainable family agriculture and food sovereignty

Law Ley Nº 338 establishes a framework to promote sustainable family agriculture and diversified activities among Bolivia’s peasant, indigenous, and Afro-Bolivian communities. Grounded in Bolivia’s Constitution and complementary laws, particularly the Law N 300 (Law of Mother Earth and Integral Development for Living Well) it aligns agricultural practices with principles of environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic solidarity. The law declares sustainable family agriculture a matter of public and national interest, emphasising its role in food sovereignty, rural livelihoods, and biodiversity conservation. A key focus of Ley Nº 338 is its integration with Bolivia’s climate change framework, particularly the Plurinational Plan of Climate Change for Living Well and mechanisms established under Law 300. It mandates that agricultural participants engage in agroforestry and conservation programs, generate data on mitigation and adaptation, and implement ancestral knowledge to address climate impacts. These efforts aim to harmonise agricultural development with environmental integrity while fostering food security and community resilience. By linking sustainable agriculture to the ethical principles of Living Well, the law aims to advance Bolivia’s vision of socio-economic development in balance with “Mother Earth”.