VP Operations, O Trade
The increased demand for raw materials and commodities has the industry looking for minerals in unexplored regions across the world, often in Indigenous territories. In parallel, groups living in Indigenous territories face greater challenges over time due to rising populations, escalating needs that are critical for survival.
This session will assess the value of the mineral resource industry to social development, from the grassroots view. The analysis evaluates industry acknowledgment of its impacts on individual livelihoods, ancestral cultures, and economic regions, assessing how the consequences of wrongdoings can lead to years of conflict.
Exploration is not only the beginning of a long-term process within the mining cycle; it is also the first step towards development for isolated Indigenous communities. Throughout history, the extraction of valuable minerals has been the first economic activity supporting the growth of flourishing civilizations. Today’s reality of interactions between the industry and Indigenous communities is the same. Mining may have been controlled by the state in the past, with regional citizens flourishing as a result, but now that the private sector is the face of this regional activity, broad-based development is not necessarily taken into account. How aware are impact investors and ESG investors of their contribution to integrate operational best practices with positive impacts to society and the environment?
Mineral exploration is not just finding minerals and mining is no longer a hole in the ground – it is an industry which impacts the livelihoods of human beings and the social-economic environments of regions. If the industry has the power to activate local economics while starting the road to development in a conflict-free manner, how can we engage Indigenous peoples to be ready and prepare for the changes and opportunities around development?
Communities’ individual assessments of private sector intervention should be based on principles of respect, inclusion, and participation. Here the challenge is to understand what respect means for Indigenous peoples and how inclusion and participation are addressed in their internal organization and political participation. Engagement and later development are the results of the processes.
This session is a recording of an Indigenous leader from Ecuador, Chief Ruben Pitiur, President Organizacion Shuar del Ecuador, and the experience of a Social Practitioner, Fabiano Poester, VP Operation of O Trade.
Biography
Fabiano has worked in sustainable development and community engagement for over 10 years, with specific focus on community and indigenous relations, stakeholder engagement and development of local supply chains.
An MBA graduate, Fabiano has a recognized ability to engage culturally diverse groups in meaningful dialogue. He provides support to projects related to sustainable development and corporate social responsibility, and strives to engage communities, private and public sector in the implementation of sustainability solutions customized for each project.
Fabiano was the Project Manager responsible for the implementation of O Trade’s strategies around Early Stakeholder Engagement and Land Access in Indigenous Territories, for Aurania’s Lost Cities Project, and the Local Community Procurement Program (LLCP) strategic component of Kinross Gold’s project in Ecuador. He focused on sustainable supply chain, capacity mapping and knowledge transfer programs for local communities. His years of experience in the sustainability industry have given him the skills to produce sustainable business plans based on key performance indicators and standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and ISO 24000 Social Responsibility standard.
Fabiano obtained his MBA in Foreign Trade and International Business from Getúlio Vargas Foundation in Brazil and a Bachelor of Business Management from Fundação Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Brazil. He also holds a postgraduate diploma in Sustainable Business Management from Seneca College in Canada. Fabiano is fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish.