The Oilforest^™ Plan

From Environmental Degradation to Energy Independence:

An economic revitalization strategy for tropical nations which replaces unsustainable crops & land uses with environmental restoration, community renewal, clean energy, and diverse new industries. 

The Oilforest^™ Plan (and our related FuelField^™ Plan) take biofuel production to its highest level of sustainability.

While others are focusing on how to produce biofuels in a way that doesn't destroy wildlife habitat or produce price distortions in vital food crops, we are focused on how to produce biofuels in a way that restores land...restores wildlife habitat, restores watersheds, restores contaminated lands, restores depleted agricultural lands, etc. 

What's more, we focus on restoring natural resources in a way that revitalizes local--as well as national--economies.

The Oilforest Plan addresses 3 major crises of the 21st Century...Food, water, & energy.  Originally designed for tropical and sub-tropical areas, some temperate and even arid lands are also appropriate for The Oilforest Plan.

What's an "oilforest"?  An oilforest is a hybrid: It combines a sustainably-managed plantation of oilseed-bearing trees with natural forest and other high-value trees (such as spices and aromatic oils).  The beautiful forest that results produces vast amounts of vegetable oils that can be used to produce biodiesel fuel, foodstuffs, soaps & detergents, cosmetics, and a vast array of other clean industries. A hectare of oil-bearing trees can annually produce over 10 times more oil than a hectare of soybeans, without the tilling and intensive inputs of chemicals required by annual crops.  If planted on land already damaged by unsustainable agricultural (or other) uses, an oilforest will help restore your watershed, restore your biodiversity, and restore soil quality; all while restoring and diversifying your community and national economies. Foreign oilfields currently hold most national economies hostage, and nations with domestic oilfields suffered severe damage to their environment and political system: As the world accelerates its transition from oilfields to oilforests (and other sustainable energy sources), your nation can lead the way by switching from bananafields to oilforests.

Why is biodiesel growing at such a phenomenal rate? It develops more power and lubricates engines better than regular diesel fuel. You can use your existing diesel-based power infrastructure. Engines last much longer burning It burns clean, and does not contribute to global climate change,

Why are tropical and island nations so perfect for The Oilforest Plan?  The large amounts of year-round sunshine make your oilforests extremely productive.  Most tropical and island nations rely primarily on diesel generators for electricity, so the switch to biodiesel makes full use of your existing infrastructure investment. It also means that communities that are not on a national power grid can make full use of biodiesel.  (Most other nations use biodiesel primarily for motor vehicles.) Your warm climate means you can burn 100% biodiesel in your vehicles, without having to blend it with regular diesel to keep it from gelling in very cold weather.

Put your country on the path to rapid, long-term, integrated revitalization. We'll help you replace your unprofitable banana crop with the "green gold" of the 21st Century: Biodiesel fuel from tree-growth vegetable oil.  But the Oilforest Plan goes much further...

Now, with a single, affordable long-term program (with dramatic short-term benefits), you can:

• Decrease your country's (or region's) dependence on economically-unstable, environmentally- damaging, increasingly-unprofitable crops, such as bananas;

• Restore the fertility of your agricultural lands while growing the green gold of the 21^st century;

• Renew the health of your forests, ecosystems, watersheds, and fisheries;

• Grow your national economy, and the economic health of your small farmers and communities;

• Develop clean, highly-profitable new industries with huge global markets and substantial local markets;

• Redevelop your transportation, sewer, & water infrastructure, and areas hit by catastrophes;

• Revitalize historic sites, waterfronts, contaminated industrial properties; and,

• Wean your country from its dependence on imported fossil fuels, replacing them with home-grown biodiesel fuel that uses your existing diesel-based power infrastructure.  Biodiesel is the 2nd-fastest-growing alternative fuel is the world.  Why? Here's how it compares to ordinary diesel fuel: Biodiesel is more powerful, it lubricates better (making engines last longer), it's clean-burning (improves public health, and it's carbon-neutral (doesn't contribute to global climate change.)

An opportunity prior to the officially launch of the Oilforest Plan. 

Before the program is formally launched to the world, we are looking for two nations to become pilots for this program; one in the Caribbean, and one in Africa.  In return, you'll get a head start on your neighbors, you'll take a regional economic/environmental policy leadership role, and you'll save 50%.  Learn more about the Pilot Program.

The Oilforest Plan has three aspects:

1. Educational: Our 3 workshops bring your public and private leaders up to speed on all the trends, issues, technologies, and industries you must understand in order to make an intelligent decision;

2. Technical: Our ongoing consulting services will provide you with a world-class team of experts to help you with strategy and program implementation at every step of the way;

3. Financial: Resolution Fund, LLC (RF) has relationships with international development agencies and other financial institutions that are actively looking for projects like this to finance in Caribbean, African, and Pacific countries. 

   • So, if your agricultural sector needs financial help making the leap from bananas to vegetable oil, or if a local entrepreneur needs financing for a biodiesel fuel manufacturing plant, there are funds waiting to be tapped.

   • All we need to help you get access to these funds is a local business, NGO, or financial institution to partner with: We provide the technical assistance, and you provide the business that wishes to profit from this opportunity, or the institution whose mission is to advance environmentally-responsible economic development. .

Resolution Fund, LLC (RF) is the world's leading consulting firm in the field of restorative development. RF is an Authorized Affiliate of Revitalization Institute (RI), the non-profit alliance for community renewal and natural resource restoration. RI is a global network of dozens of NGOs, universities, and restorative companies.  Together, they develop leading-edge tools for integrated revitalization, and these tools are the heart of The Oilforest Plan.

Yes, you'll have no bananas. Instead, you'll have dynamic economic growth, energy independence, and improved environmental health. Of course, you won't really rid yourself of bananas: You'll want to keep an appropriate level of production for local or regional needs.  But your family farmers will no longer be competing with the multinational fruit companies, and your national economy will become significantly more stable and self-reliant, both agriculturally and energy-wise. Bananas were the "green gold" for many tropical countries in the 20th century, but were fast becoming liabilities for many of these nations, even before the WTO ruling.  With energy prices projected to continue skyrocketing for the foreseeable future, tree-based vegetable oil production is obviously the green gold of the 21st century.  Properly executed, The Oilforest Plan should also help avert the 21st century's other three looming crises: clean water, sustainable food production, and healthy biodiversity.

This page only introduces the program.  On other pages, you learn about the 4-phases of The Oilforest Plan, the 3 workshops that comprise Phase One of the program, the Pilot Program for the first two participating nations, the News Release announcing The Oilforest Plan, plus links & photos.

To learn more about The Oilforest Plan, restorative development, and integrated revitalization:

• Email Storm Cunningham or call him at 202-204-3040 (Alexandria, Virginia, USA) if you have any questions, or to inquire about becoming one of our two Pilot nations, which will save you 50% on the entire workshop series.

• Subscribe to the free publications of Revitalization Institute, the alliance for community renewal and natural resource restoration. Learn more at www.RevitalizationInstitute.org

• Read The Restoration Economy (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, November 2002) by Storm Cunningham. You can read the Introduction, Preface, and Table of Contents free of charge online at www.RestorationEconomy.com,and you can purchase it through any bookseller.