Las Pavas Case The Daabon Group with 11

Press Kit Las Pavas Case The Daabon Group with 11 “green” certifications is involved in the displacement of 123 families. The Daabon Organic group is define as synonymous of quality, social responsibility and organic agriculture, however since 2009 they planted african palm with commercial purpose in a field where 123 families were illegally displaced by policial authorities. This occurred in the farm Las Pavas located in the township of El Peñon (South of Bolivar in Colombia). It is important to remember that this company counts with 11 international certifications in quality and good practices. Nevertheless, the company Body Shop on June of 2010 released a independent report were it evidence the impossibility to establish of whom were the properties a reason why they end up the commercial relations with Daabon group who gave them the raw material. Certifications These are the seals that support the Daabon Group: Country: France Web site: http://www.ecocert.com/en/ Country: Japan Web site: http://www.pure‐foods.co.jp/ Country: Colombia Web site: http://www.bureauveritas.com/ Country: USA Web site: http://www.rainforest‐alliance.org/ Country: USA Web site: http://www.ksakosher.com/ Country: Swiss Web site: http://www.bio‐suisse.ch/en/ Press Kit Las Pavas Case Country: Colombia Web site: http://biotropico.com/ Country: USA Web site: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop Country: Germany Web site: http://www.bcs‐oeko.com/ Country: Australia Web site: http://www.bfa.com.au/ Country: Germany Web site: http://www.eurep.org/ Why is important the case “Las Pavas” • Because the palm oil produced by the Daabon Group is purchased around the world as a green product. • Because a multinational company with green certifications is putting economic interests above the social well. • Because 600 people are displaced and have a serious humanitarian emergency. They don’t have what to eat. This is also an alimentary emergency. Press Kit Las Pavas Case What is the news today? The community is planning to return to the land because is their right, and they hope to have the entire international and media support. This action will happen the last week of February in order to the auspicious date for sow. In October 2010, the Daabon Group made a public announcement where inform them retirement from the area. Nevertheless to date, the legal documentation indicates that the Daabon Group continues at this land, allowing the displacement continues and avoiding the responsibilities in this case. News, from Daabon website Santa Marta, Colombia, Oct 28, 2010 – C.I. Tequendama S.A., a subsidiary of the Daabon Group, has made the decision to end its involvement in the project for growing palm in the Las Pavas region. The Consortium Aportes San Isidro was informed of this decision yesterday by the manager of C.I. Tequendama. Manuel Davila, CEO of the Daabon Group, said “From the beginning we have expressed our commitment to the people and the community of Las Pavas with the goal of bringing progress to this area of the country. We assumed that our model Productive Alliances for Peace, which has been successful in other parts of the country because of the prosperity, development, and other benefits it has brought to communities, would also be appropriate, valid , and succesful in this region. However the debate that exists regarding ownership and posession of the land, in spite of the court rulings in favor of the Consortium, has made it impossible to advance with a productive project. Perhaps the involvement of the federal government, in accordance with the Lands Law, will bring greater clarity to a region which in any case requires the presence of private capital investment, formal and dignified employment, and corporate economic support. Our company has been seriously affected because of the difficulty the Consortium has had in reaching a sustainable agreement with the community, and for this reason has decided to retire from the project.” Daabon laments both the absence of clarity on the part of the Incoder (federal government dependency ) and the political motives that have characterized the debate. These factors have prevented that the model of Productive Alliances for Peace, promoted by the company in other areas of the country with successful results of development and economic prosperity, be put into practice in Las Pavas. Daabon is concerned that the potential damage to its reputation could endanger the economic well being of nearly 3,000 small farmers and their families who are part of the company’s program of Productive Alliances for Peace in northern Colombia. In conjunction with the Consortium Aportes San Isidro, the Daabon Group will establish the steps to be followed to formalize its exit from the Las Pavas Project. Nevertheless, given the fact that Daabon’s primary objective is the development of the production of palm oil, in accordance with the best international standards, the company will continue to analyze opportunities in other regions of the country where our Alliance model is welcome.
Press Kit Las Pavas Case Who is involved in this case? • ASOCAB: The Farmers Association of Buenos Aires (ASOCAB) was formed in 1998 with the purpose of producing, marketing and processing agricultural products, developing agro‐forestry and pasture programmes, providing healthcare services to the community, increasing awareness and training for the purpose of assuming a leading role in the modern State and highlighting the history of organisations, assuming leadership in locating productive employment to elevate economic living conditions. • INCODER: Colombian Institute for Rural Development. • Consorcio Labrador: C.I. Tequendama (Daabon Group) y Aportes San Isidro. Things that you have to know1 The actual conflict with respect to the “Las Pavas” lot refers to historical processes of occupation of the territory, local dynamics linked to the armed conflict, lack of capacity for institutional and government intervention, development models, and the interests and agendas of a diverse set of actors. On the morning of July 14th 2009, the police inspector of El Peñón (Bolívar) began proceedings for the reestablishment of status quo in Las Pavas. Since January 2009, a group of residents of the District of Buenos Aires had occupied the lot. They claimed their right to occupy it within the framework of a request of domain submission on the lot. This was the same lot that the Consortium El Labrador had acquired in January 2007. Timeline: • At the end of the seventies, the Colombian Institute for Agrarian Reform INCORA initiated a process for allocating baldíos (uncultivated land or land that is not owned by anybody but belongs to the State). The “Si Dios quiere”, “No te canses” “Peñaloza” and “Las Pavas” lots were formed in this way and now correspond to a large part of the Las Pavas farm, which was purchased at the end of the sixties and the early seventies by the livestock company Las Pavas Ltda. Years later, Jesús Emilio Escobar Fernández bought these lots that added up to 1,184 hectares, along with other lots, which origin has not been clearly established, that added up to 1,658 hectares more. • In the nineties armed conflict and the lack of personal safety drove Mr. Escobar Fernández to abandon his property. Other versions of these events, however have associated the abandonment of the farm with the death of Pablo Escobar, as Jesús Emilio Escobar was rumoured to be his front man. 1
Extract from the “Report Independent Commission Land Conflict ‐Las Pavas‐Bolívar, Colombia”. Available in http://www.thebodyshop.com/_en/_ww/services/pdfs/AboutUs/LasPavasReview.pdf Press Kit Las Pavas Case • Since 1994 and 1995 and given the abandonment of the land by the landowner Jesus Emilio Escobar, the inhabitants of Buenos Aires began a process of partial occupation of the abandoned lots. They exploited these lots until the beginning of 2003 when, in accordance with the testimonies of the members of ASOCAB, they were the subject of threats by one of the local commanders of the Bloque Central Bolívar BCB of the AUC. During this period (February 2003 to January 2006) illegal armed groups continued pressuring members of the local communities through the exercise of violence. • Between June 20th and June 23rd, 2006, INCODER conducted a visita previa in Las Pavas, verifying the hydrography, class and state of the soil, total area, nature of economic exploitation and people occupying the lot. • After this, Jesús Emilio Escobar appeared again. He returned to the Las Pavas farm in November 2006. Farmers from Buenos Aires say that he expelled from Las Pavas those who were inside the lot and armed men wearing army outfits helped him. • In November 2006, Aportes San Isidro proposed to CI Tequendama (company of the Daabon Group) the joint purchase of Las Pavas, through the creation of Consorcio El Labrador, a consortium between both companies. On January 23rd 2007, Mr Escobar Fernández transferred the property and physically delivered the lot the Consortium. The sale was completed in March 2007, with the signing of the public deed. • On July 28th 2008, ASOCAB addressed a letter directly to President Álvaro Uribe requesting clarifications about land tenure. On August 1st, the President's Office transferred this request to INCODER. • On November 11 th, 2008, two years and 5 months after the visita previa, by virtue of the inspections carried out by INCODER officials in June 2006, the UNAT (National Land Unit) issued the Resolution 1473 of 2008. Through it, administrative proceedings were begun aiming at declare or not the domain submission, wholly or partially, of private ownership on the lot. • At the end of 2008 and after Aportes San Isidro (who acted as executor of the project on the farm) had planted of the first 70 hectares of oil palm, the area suffered a flood which affected the work advanced by the Consortium in Las Pavas. Due to this, the work of adapting the land for agriculture was intensified and protection structures were constructed in the lot. • On January 15th 2009, a group of inhabitants of Buenos Aires entered the lot. As a result of this occupation, the Consortium starts a second legal action against the farmers: the Consortium requests police proceedings for the re‐establishment of the status quo, against the members of ASOCAB. Press Kit Las Pavas Case Supplementary documents Title Link Report Independent Commission Land Conflict ‐Las Pavas‐Bolívar, Colombia. Statement about Las Pavas from Body Shop. Letter from Biosuisse http://www.thebodyshop.com/_en/_ww/services/pdfs/AboutUs/LasPavasReview.pdf http://www.thebodyshop.com/_en/_ww/services/pdfs/AboutUs/Sourcing_Pal
m_Oil.pdf http://www.bio‐
suisse.ch/media/Ueberuns/UnsereMeinungzu/f_stellungnahme_palml_kolumbi
en_dezember_2010.pdf of http://www.rspo.org/?q=content/notification‐de‐certificacion‐rspo‐de‐la‐
empress‐ci‐tequendama‐subsidiaries‐del‐grupo‐daabon Notification certificacion RSPO‐Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. Blog http://retornoalaspavas.wordpress.com/ For additional info please contact: •
•
•
Juan Felipe García, Lawyer Javeriana University E‐mail: [email protected] Phone: +57 (1) 3208320 ext. 5533 Vanessa Estrada, Lawyer Programa Desarrollo y Paz Magdalena Medio E‐mail: [email protected] Phone: +57 3134675250 Rafael Figueroa, Lawyer SUIPPCOL E‐mail: [email protected] Phone: +57 3102571996