Located in the Southern-western part of Bolivia, between 19° and 20° south in latitude, the Intersalar area is a volcanic region over 3500m of elevation, between two main salty formations: Uyuni salar and Coipasa salar. The climate there is cold semi-arid and arid type. In the Intersalar area the density of inhabitants is very low (0,8 hab/km2). They are mainly Aymara Indians.   Aymara farming system was anciently based on quinoa and potatoes grown on volcanoe slopes, whereas lama farming used to depend on foothills and flat “pampa” areas. During the sixties there was a great demand for white quinoa, specially from Bolivia. To meet this demand, it appeared that tractors and ploughs could be a solution: it was tempting to cultivate pampas, which they did. But this technical solution did not take into account the soil nature in those areas. And its consequences are now severe Different studies, conducted at Intersalar area scale and at three different communities' scale have shown negative consequences of  three different orders: first environmental (the sandy soil which had never been cultivated before, and which is no more enriched with lamas' feces is eroding rapidly; both chemical fertilizers and pesticides appeared); then technical (gas oil for tractors needs to be easily found; quinoa new varieties are not adapted to the very specific conditions there; etc …); and last social (numerous conflicts develop between cattle keepers and new farmers getting hold of land for quinoa mechanized production, this land previously being a collective property dedicated to the lama grazing). All these consequences mean the disorganisation of the traditional Aymara society