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Abundant Biofuels is committed to honoring the social and structural
integrity of indigenous peoples with whom it works.
Case Study – The Philippines
In 2006, Dr. Rene
Lacsina and Dr. Melchizedek Solis (Apo Amay Mamatikan) began
working with the Lumads in Northern Mindanao in an effort to stimulate
economic development and education. Many of the Lumad tribes have joined
a confederation of the tribes – the Supreme Council of Datus Alimaong -
the Holy Warriors (SCODA). They concluded that production of biodiesel
from
tubang-bakod
(the Philippine name of Jatropha Curcas) would create wealth for
the Lumads.
They approached Abundant
Biofuels to see whether their goals matched those of Abundant Biofuels.
They introduced ABC executives to SCODA’s leadership in November 2007,
resulting in mutual agreement to jointly undertake economic development in
the Lumad
 ancestral domain in a manner that would benefit the domain
residents while protecting their rights as indigenous peoples and
preserving the land against environmental degradation.
Agreement
to work toward economic development of Lumad ancestral domains was
reached at the meeting in Cagayan d’Oro (Mindanao) between SCODA and ABC.
The agreement
was celebrated in a
ceremony that inducted Abundant Biofuels executives
Charles Fishel (CEO) as Datu Libokasan and James Love (President)
as Datu Malingin (Dr. Rene Lacsina had already been honored as Datu
Mantukodan).
 ABC
retained a consulting firm to evaluate possible farming sites in the Lumad
ancestral domain to assure that the land was not suitable for other
agricultural uses and would not require deforestation. Then, SCODA worked
with the domain holders to determine whether they want to participate in
Tahas Kasla (Jatropha Project).
Before beginning to plant, SCODA and ABC held a Stakeholders’ meeting to
explain the project to all of the people who might be affected. It was
important to get their full agreement to the reforestation plan before
undertaking any operations.
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