Category Archives: Resource Based Economy

The Ottawa Valley is a unique place, and has been since the beginning of recorded history.

This continues to be well reflected in the character of its people, its culture and its politics, according to former MPP Sean Conway, the latest guest lecturer to take part in Algonquin College's ongoing speaker series.

On Monday evening, Conway spoke on the colour and character of the Ottawa Valley political tradition, which has been shaped by a number of unique factors. These include the Ottawa River, the timber trade and being on the borderlands between settlement and the wild lands, and being bi-provincial with the overlap of English and French Canada, which included a mix of Irish, Scots, Germans and Poles to make things interesting.

You get a sense the Ottawa Valley developed a strong regional culture, with its own folklore and its own music, he said. One with a strong ethno-cultural orientation.

Conway said there is something within that mix which brewed a strong independent streak which persists to this day. Unlike most of eastern Canada in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, the Ottawa Valley remained essentially on the frontier; it's economy wasn't primarily based on agriculture due to the rugged landscape and didn't look to Toronto for leadership.

Not looking west to Muddy York for political or any sort of guidance was in large part the result of the timber trade, he said, which really kick started the region in the early 1800s. The Napoleonic Wars had cut Britain off of its European source material for its mighty navy, so it looked westward to its Canadian possession in North America for its stands of white pine and other wood prized in shipbuilding.

Conway said this focus forged a resource-based economy which would influence the area throughout its history. Everything in the 1800s and early 1900s would be directly influenced by the timber trade, from society to its politics. By the mid-19th Century, some 25,000 were working in the lumbering industry.

Due in part to its isolation, the Ottawa Valley would remain on the fringe of pre-Confederation Canada for many years afterwards. The frontier nature of the region, coupled with the hazards of lumbering and the log drives, meant a wild independent streak developed within those who lived and worked in the region. The area attracted those who often had a strong dislike for regulations and central authorities trying to impose its will upon them.

Conway said it was a rough and dangerous place, where rough and dangerous people lived. When Irish immigrants brought in to work on the canals near Bytown became unemployed, they muscled their way into the lumber business, which was run primarily by French speaking people. The resulting gang war in the 1830s ranged from Bytown to Pembroke and beyond.

The region was thought of as the Toronto bypass, he said. Using the Ottawa River meant one could stay away from the lower Great Lakes of Erie and Ontario when heading out west, and the timber trade itself kept the settlers and businessmen looking to Ottawa then Bytown Montreal, Quebec City and onward to Liverpool and London in England, rather than to Toronto as the majority of commerce did at the time.

Conway said the political power houses of the area were based on those same rough and ready people who made their fortunes in the timber trade. Families like the Whites, the Dunlops, the McDougals, the Maloneys, the Brysons, the Murray Brothers and so forth supplied MPs, MPPs, senators, mayors and council members for generations.

Provincial borders meant little to those whose fortunes were made on both sides of the Ottawa River, he said. For instance Thomas Murray of Pembroke served in Parliament for 20 years, representing at differing times both the Renfrew constituency and the Pontiac while remaining in Pembroke.

The highly diverse nature of the region meant politicians had to become skilled at reading the nature of people they were looking to for support. Conway said building a successful coalition meant a balancing act between religion, creed and geography as individuals looked at seats in office.

That same mix could easily topple the same person the very next election. Conway said Peter White, a long-time MP for North Renfrew, was defeated because his independent streak rubbed some voters the wrong way.

He didn't like what happened in the Manitoba School crisis, he said, and opposed his own government's stance on it, but kept that to himself. But there are no secrets within the Valley, and many knew where he stood.

In that, separate French Catholic school, as well as English Protestant ones, had their funding stripped away by the Manitoba government in favour of a public system. It was seen as an attack on the French language and sharply divided the ruling Conservative party, which backed funding the separate schools. Wilfred Laurier, strongly opposed to the funding issue, would use it to help win the 1896 election for the Liberals, ending 30 years of Conservative rule.

White lost by 50 to 60 votes, Conway said, the same amount by which he won his seat. He said it showed, as has been characteristic of elections in the Ottawa Valley, that to be successful in politics here, one has to understand the local voting base, and find people who would appeal directly to that base in all circumstances. It also demonstrated the volatility of the electorate.

Conway said this nature of Ottawa Valley politics had some election campaigns resemble professional wrestling matches, with both sides doing everything possible to ensure their candidate won. Few batted an eye when fistfuls of money would be exchanged for voter support.

Over time, things changed. New election financing laws and the way politicians were to conduct themselves removed much of the wild west style of politicking. Conway said these days, especially within the last 20 years or so, the individual politician means less than the party brand he or she represents.

These days, the individual is mostly gone from a situation, he said, especially in this age of message control, where MPs and MPPs are no longer free to speak their minds as they once were.

The party brand and the leader brand tends to be the determinant, he said.

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Ottawa Valley a unique place for politics - Pembroke Daily Observer

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Oregons Beach Bill right! Come out and explore the coastal edge with the Surfrider Foundation Portland Chapter, Friends of Cape Falcon Marine Reserve and our other local community partners on Saturday, May 20 at 10am. Learn about all the different citizen science projects focused on monitoring and protecting Oswald West State Park and the Cape Falcon Marine Reserve. Join us in protecting the Oregon we all know and love! FREE BBQ and surf / hang time afterwards!

Agenda for the Day:

10:00-10:30 Meet + intro to the day (Lower Parking Lot at Short Sands)

10:30-12:30 Citizen Science adventures at or around Oswald West State Park

12:30 Hands Across the Sands (www.handsacrossthesand.com/) photo shoot @ noon,

12:45-2:00 FREE BBQ with locally-sourced fish tacos @ picnic area (or possibly a later gathering at Public Coast brewing if the weather is bad).

Citizen-Science Choose your own Adventures:

Seabird Monitoring and hike on the Coastal Edge: Join Audubon Society of Portland and Friends of Cape Falcon Marine Reserve for a fun hike out to Audubons monitoring site at Devils Cauldron in Oswald West State Park. Devils Cauldron is a short (0.25 miles), easy hike open to all ages. Experience the unique story of our coastline, from natural history to ongoing land and ocean conservation activities, including the new Cape Falcon Marine Reserve and Audubon Society of Portlands efforts to monitor seabirds.

If youre up for more, continue on Elk Flats Trail for a 1.5-mile moderate to difficult hike to Short Sands Beach and the rest of the days festivities. The Elk Flats Trail, which leads hikers through a variety of forest structures, stunning old growth trees, and to vistas of the marine reserve, is steep in some sections. Hikers should prepare for slick, muddy trails and to scamper over and under sizable fallen trees. Please wear sturdy shoes, dress for coastal Oregon weather, and bring water.

Clean Beaches and Water: Surfrider Foundation and CoastWatch are teaming up at the beautiful Falcon Cove Beach to highlight efforts to keep our waterways and beaches clean. Explore the monitoring sites at Falcon Cove Beach and learn about the Blue Water Task Force program and marine debris monitoring efforts going on coast wide. Discover where the trash on our beaches is coming from, how you can get involved, and all the partners that are contributing from local volunteers to schools to national organizations. If you havent spent time on Falcon Cove Beach, this is a great opportunity to view this remote coastal beach along the Cape Falcon Marine Reserve.

Short Sand Intertidal Exploration Tour: Discover the amazing creatures living along the coastal edge. Hunting for sea stars will be the main objective during this outing highlighting the impacts of Sea Star Wasting Syndrome. Haystack Rock Awareness Program and The Nature Conservancy will team up to take participants on a tour of the rocky intertidal areas at Short Sand beach. These organizations support coast wide and local efforts to monitor sea star populations. Recent surveys have shown a decrease in diseased animals and the first signs of the populations recovering. Along the way, you never know what you will discover! From dueling anemones, a sea stars patient hunt for its next meal, to predatory snails. Its another world to discover. Join the fun!

Join us in celebrating our coastline and learning how you can do your part to protect our legacy for generations to come! #LongLiveOregonBeaches!

This event is part of the Explore Nature series of hikes, walks, paddles and outdoor adventures. Explore Nature events are hosted by a consortium of volunteer community and non-profit organizations, and are meaningful nature-based experiences highlight the unique beauty of Tillamook County and the work being done to preserve and conserve the areas natural resources and natural resource-based economy. Learn more at http://www.explorenaturetillamookcoast.com.

Register on Eventbrite: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/oswald-west-action-day-citizen-science-extravaganza-tickets-33919489105

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Cape Falcon Marine Reserve presents Oswald West Action Day - North Coast Citizen

The following is a press release from Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS:

The beautiful Netarts Bay is a unique ecosystem home to great marine life and birds. It also holds countless stories within its landscape and waters from signs on how this bay formed to how it has been used by people throughout time. Discover these stories and more during two free events offered by the Friends of Netarts Bay - Watershed, Estuary, Beach and Sea (WEBS) on Saturday.

Hosted by WEBS, these events are part of the Explore Nature series of hikes, walks, paddles and outdoor adventures. Explore Nature events are hosted by a consortium of volunteer community and non-profit organizations, and are meaningful nature-based experiences highlight the unique beauty of Tillamook County and the work being done to preserve and conserve the areas natural resources and natural resource-based economy. Learn more at http://www.explorenaturetillamookCoast.com.

Kayak Netarts Bay: There is no better way to experience Netarts than on the water. Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS in partnership with Explore Nature and Kayak Tillamook County is offering a free kayak tour of the bay entrance. This tour offers an easier ride, taking advantage of the last of outgoing tides toward mouth of bay. Participants will stop on the way to see the aquarium of marine life such as kelp and Dungeness crab, filtering shellfish, and aquatic vegetation that lives in the shallow waters of the cove. Afterwards, more intrepid paddlers can paddle near the bay entrance to experience some swell energy. On our return, we'll paddle the incoming tides past harbor seals lounging on the sand bar before heading back to the launch site.

When: Saturday from 8:30 a.m. noon

Where: Netarts Bay area. Sign up for specific location!

Details: Kayak Tillamook County will provide kayak, gear and life jackets. If you have your own kayak, please let Kayak Tillamook know during registration. Please be prepared for coastal Oregon weather. We will have water available onsite. Please bring a reusable water bottle and snacks.

Restrictions: Tweens and older are free to join this trip. People with serious medical conditions should exercise caution in joining. Anyone over 230 pounds should notify us during registration to ensure we have the proper gear.

Registration: Registration is required. Please send an email to Marcus Hinz: marc@kayaktillamook.com. More information and registration details are also available at http://www.explorenaturetillamookcounty.com.

Migratory Bird Day Outing- Coastal and Pelagic Birds:

Do you love watching and listening to birds along the bay?Discover the amazing life histories of the aquatic birds of Netarts Bay at the WEBS program, Migratory Bird Day Outing: Coastal and Pelagic Birds. Join in and explore Netarts Bay and Cape Meares headlands in search of coastal birds and nesting seabirds. Learn about the local geologic and ecologic features of our areas headlands and how these birds have adapted to live on the edge!

When:Saturday 9 a.m. 1 p.m.

Where:Netarts Bay area. Sign up for specific location!

Details:Weather on the Oregon Coast is unpredictable and change quickly. Please dress accordingly. Binoculars are recommended. WEBS will have a limited number of binoculars and viewing scopes available. Transportation around the bay will be provided.

For more information: ContactWEBSPresident@aol.comor call541-231-8041.

Original post:

Free kayak trip and migratory bird events upcoming this weekend - Tillamook Headlight-Herald

Provincial election results on Tuesday highlight the need for all parties to work to bridge the growing divide between urban and rural voters in B.C., say political observers.

I find it disconcerting to have this very stark division, Hamish Telford, associate professor and head of the political science department at University of the Fraser Valley, said in an interview Wednesday.

We see a real divergence in political culture and economy playing out.

Norman Ruff, associate professor emeritus of political science at the University of Victoria, said there have always been distinct regional patterns to the B.C. vote, but 2017 highlighted a deepening urban-rural divide.

The current economic and cultural contrasts between the North and the Interior with Vancouver and the Lower Mainland effectively define two British Columbias, Ruff said.

While one lags behind in its continued dependence on a dwindling natural resource-based economy, and in a sense still looks backward for its future, the other continues an exponential growth in diversity and enjoys a transition to an entirely new economy.

He called on all parties to bridge the divide as a matter of the provincial public good but also for their own partys future. He added that 17 Northern and Interior electoral districts have been given grandfathered protection in the distribution of seats around the province and now contain significantly fewer voters than elsewhere.

Telford points to the 2013 election and Liberal Leader Christy Clarks defeat in Vancouver (she later ran successfully in Kelowna), and controversies such as the province forcing a Metro Vancouver referendum on TransLink funding and the dismissal of the Vancouver school board.

The Liberals didnt have an urban-friendly platform, Telford added of the 2017 campaign, noting Clark again championed the rural vote by tackling the softwood lumber issue.

If she wants to work a government in this precarious situation, shes going to need to be more sensitive to the urban agenda and appoint cabinet ministers to key portfolios who understand urban issues better.

At the same time, the other parties must find policies that resonate with the Interior and North.

B.C. has always had polarized left-right politics, but when regional divisions taken on political overtones as they did in this election and they start to pit regions against each other, thats not good for the unity of the province.

Telford said the Liberals in recent years have cultivated a strong following in rural areas of mainland B.C., including through support for resource projects such as LNG exports, the Site C hydroelectric dam, and the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion project.

In addition to their rural strongholds, the Liberals on Tuesday also scored in traditional NDP territory, Ellis Ross winning the Skeena riding over the NDPs Bruce Bidgood.

At the same time, four Liberal cabinet ministers were defeated in urban ridings in Metro Vancouver: Attorney General Suzanne Anton (Vancouver-Fraserview); TransLink minister Peter Fassbender (Surrey-Fleetwood); Naomi Yamamoto, minister of state for emergency preparedness (North Vancouver-Lonsdale); and Technology Minister Amrik Virk (Surrey-Guildford).

While much of Vancouver Island is also rural, the region is traditional NDP territory. Of 14 available seats, the NDP took 10 (down from 11), the Greens three (up from one) and the Liberals one (down from two), though the NDP won by only nine votes in Courtenay-Comox an outcome that is expected to undergo a recount.

Original post:

Stark urban-rural divide deepening in BC, observers say - Times Colonist

With spending levels set through September, the Senate digging in on health care and the U.S. House of Representatives now turning to tax reform, some may believe infrastructure will take a backseat to these priorities. Yet observers of the legislative process know that policymaking is always occurring, even if it is not always in plain sight.

While any infrastructure package will be complicated, the private freight rail sector unique in the discussion as the industry is not necessarily seeking federal dollars offers straightforward advice: advance public policies that both enhance public spending and spur private infrastructure investment.

We stand on firm ground, as one train can take hundreds of trucks off the road, thereby lessening road and bridge deterioration. The industry has also spent $635 billion since partial deregulation nearly 40 years ago money the industry pays so taxpayers do not.

As lawmakers turn their attention to actual legislation, our industry offers recommendations as a starting point in this sure-to-be lengthy process, simply for the transportation part of infrastructure:

1. Stop applying Band-Aids to the insolvent Highway Trust Fund, the pool of money funded almost solely by the gas tax and which is used to fund federal and state transportation infrastructure projects. Because the gas tax does not cover operating expenses, and because commercial users such as trucks do not pay for their proportional use of roads, taxpayers have subsidized the fund to the tune of $143 billion since 2008. We need measures such as a weight distance fee that accounts more realistically for commercial road use.

2. Do not make things worse by pushing heavier trucks onto transportation networks. Any federal program that boosts truck weight limits at the federal level further subsidizes commercial highway users at the expense of taxpayers, exacerbates deterioration of crumbling infrastructure and tilts the policy scale against a critical freight rail industry. Trucks today do not cover their current impact and heavier trucks will only force taxpayers to further bankroll the underpayment of even heavier trucks, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data.

3. Enact tax reform to spur economic growth and generate revenues needed for sustainable funding. We need a simpler and fairer tax code, reducing the business rate to a globally competitive level to broaden the tax base, enhance U.S. economic development and promote growth. Divisive items related to tax reform must not impede the larger goal to enhance competition, which for railroads and American industry in general, will lead to more domestic spending.

4. Streamline government processes that will similarly unshackle the business community and fuel an American renaissance not seen for decades. By generating policies that focus more on desired outcomes than prescriptive steps, cutting red tape in the permitting process and by actually communicating with the private sector, long-delayed infrastructure projects may finally come to fruition. Not by eradicating regulation, but by instilling good government principles transparency and complete and sound science railroads, trucks and other transportation stakeholders would gain efficiencies that make room for greater innovation and investment.

5. Ensure the vitality of private infrastructure, namely a freight rail network that serves nearly every industrial-, wholesale-, retail- and resource-based sector of the economy. This means Washington regulators ditching numerous proceedings to re-regulate freight rail, most notably a proposed measure called forced access, which would allow the government to order one rail company to use its own privately owned facilities on behalf of a competitor. Unneeded government meddling in the operations of this 140,000 mile network that keeps trucks off the road, reduces emissions and supports 1.5 million jobs nationally, is in direct opposition to the larger goal at hand.

Fixing U.S. infrastructure, particularly roads and bridges, is no small task. But by spurring private investments and ensuring the vitality of freight rail, a messy picture is at least a bit neater.

Originally posted here:

Freight Rail Key to U.S. Economy, Infrastructure InsideSources - InsideSources

With spending levels set through September, the Senate digging in on health care and the U.S. House of Representatives now turning to tax reform, some may believe infrastructure will take a backseat to these priorities. Yet observers of the legislative process know that policymaking is always occurring, even if it is not always in plain sight.

While any infrastructure package will be complicated, the private freight rail sector unique in the discussion as the industry is not necessarily seeking federal dollars offers straightforward advice: advance public policies that both enhance public spending and spur private infrastructure investment.

We stand on firm ground, as one train can take hundreds of trucks off the road, thereby lessening road and bridge deterioration. The industry has also spent $635 billion since partial deregulation nearly 40 years ago money the industry pays so taxpayers do not.

As lawmakers turn their attention to actual legislation, our industry offers recommendations as a starting point in this sure-to-be lengthy process, simply for the transportation part of infrastructure:

1. Stop applying Band-Aids to the insolvent Highway Trust Fund, the pool of money funded almost solely by the gas tax and which is used to fund federal and state transportation infrastructure projects. Because the gas tax does not cover operating expenses, and because commercial users such as trucks do not pay for their proportional use of roads, taxpayers have subsidized the fund to the tune of $143 billion since 2008. We need measures such as a weight distance fee that accounts more realistically for commercial road use.

2. Do not make things worse by pushing heavier trucks onto transportation networks. Any federal program that boosts truck weight limits at the federal level further subsidizes commercial highway users at the expense of taxpayers, exacerbates deterioration of crumbling infrastructure and tilts the policy scale against a critical freight rail industry. Trucks today do not cover their current impact and heavier trucks will only force taxpayers to further bankroll the underpayment of even heavier trucks, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data.

3. Enact tax reform to spur economic growth and generate revenues needed for sustainable funding. We need a simpler and fairer tax code, reducing the business rate to a globally competitive level to broaden the tax base, enhance U.S. economic development and promote growth. Divisive items related to tax reform must not impede the larger goal to enhance competition, which for railroads and American industry in general, will lead to more domestic spending.

4. Streamline government processes that will similarly unshackle the business community and fuel an American renaissance not seen for decades. By generating policies that focus more on desired outcomes than prescriptive steps, cutting red tape in the permitting process and by actually communicating with the private sector, long-delayed infrastructure projects may finally come to fruition. Not by eradicating regulation, but by instilling good government principles transparency and complete and sound science railroads, trucks and other transportation stakeholders would gain efficiencies that make room for greater innovation and investment.

5. Ensure the vitality of private infrastructure, namely a freight rail network that serves nearly every industrial-, wholesale-, retail- and resource-based sector of the economy. This means Washington regulators ditching numerous proceedings to re-regulate freight rail, most notably a proposed measure called forced access, which would allow the government to order one rail company to use its own privately owned facilities on behalf of a competitor. Unneeded government meddling in the operations of this 140,000 mile network that keeps trucks off the road, reduces emissions and supports 1.5 million jobs nationally, is in direct opposition to the larger goal at hand.

Fixing U.S. infrastructure, particularly roads and bridges, is no small task. But by spurring private investments and ensuring the vitality of freight rail, a messy picture is at least a bit neater.

View original post here:

Freight Rail Key to US Economy, Infrastructure - InsideSources

Canadas commitment to fighting climate change is strong. It took an active role in negotiation of the Paris Accord, made significant investments through the 2016 and 2017 federal budgets and created a detailed pan-Canadian plan that links climate change mitigation to innovation and clean growth. To meet our goals on climate change, it is important to reduce the release of ancient carbons from fossil fuels and to enhance the removal of carbon that is already in the atmosphere.

With their long history of management of biogenic carbon carbon that comes from living things such as plants farmers have an important role to play in helping Canada to make the shift to a lower-carbon economy. By adopting better farming practices like reduced tillage and 4R Nutrient Stewardship, producers can reduce emissions associated with land and fertilizer management, while improving their economic efficiency. The crops that they grow draw carbon from the atmosphere and convert it to the kernels of corn, wheat, canola and soybeans that are sold into the global commodities market. The remainder of the carbon that the plants have captured in their leaves, stems and roots is either returned to the atmosphere through decay at the end of the growing season or stored in soils.

Historically, these crop leftovers, or residues, have offered limited value to farmers, but they can be gathered and their biogenic carbon converted to the transportation fuels, heat, electricity, chemicals and materials that would typically be made from fossil fuels. So, as international trade discussions focus on global markets, import and export balances and commodity competition, agricultural producers are stepping up to help Canada reshape its domestic economy by feeding the biocleantech revolution.

And Canada has lots of biomass residues. In fact, taken together, Canada has more biomass resources from agriculture, forest product wastes and organic municipal wastes than any other country. An Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada study showed that some 48 million dry tonnes of agricultural residues could be available for biocleantech applications each year. As farmers embrace the use of high-yielding crops, even more residues are produced, ensuring a strong and steady future supply. When combined with residues from forestry and municipal wastes, an estimated 120 million dry tonnes of biomass could be available annually in Canada a target number that is less than half the biomass already used in the United States.

Modern commercial biomass conversion technologies use existing facilities to turn agricultural wastes into fuels, heat and electrical energy. Such technologies are proven and effective and can be economically deployed in Canada.

How could we use this ample biomass supply to address emissions? Canadas vast size, chilly weather and resource-based economy result in a unique greenhouse gas emissions profile, with large and growing emissions from heavy transportation, space heating, and extraction and refining of energy resources. Each of these processes is highly dependent upon existing and expensive infrastructure. Very-low-carbon alternatives such as wind and solar are expensive because they must abandon this older infrastructure and start over. But modern commercial biomass conversion technologies use existing facilities to turn agricultural wastes into fuels, heat and electrical energy. Such technologies are proven and effective and can be economically deployed in Canada without stranding the infrastructure we have. For example, biofuels distributed through pipelines and fuelling stations to run existing combustion-engine fleets can create a bridge from the carbon-intense fossil fuel economy of the past to a new, electrified fleet as individual cars and trucks reach the end of their life span and are ready for replacement.

Agricultural residues can also be made into higher-value chemicals and materials. Sarnias BioAmber is the worlds largest manufacturer of bio-succinic acid, which is used in the production of recyclable plastics, spandex, paints and pharmaceuticals. Instead of the traditional fossil fuel resources used to manufacture succinic acid, BioAmber uses corn stover the leftover stalks and leaves as a biogenic carbon source. A group of Ontario corn farmers, the Cellulosic Sugar Producers Co-operative, harvest corn stover in addition to their kernel corn crop. By selling their stover to BioAmber, these farmers reap a second income in the same production cycle, and BioAmber is able to produce a high-value commodity chemical that is not derived from fossil fuels.

Modern biocleantech occurs at the intersection of agricultural production and high tech, using the tools of precision agriculture, remote sensing, GIS and mapping technologies, big data, sensors and measurement technologies, drones and remotely operated vehicles. Use of high technology results in efficient and accurate plant-based carbon production, conversion and consumption, with the ultimate goal of releasing very little carbon to the atmosphere while contributing to a wide range of products and services. This approach also requires a skilled workforce with permanent positions, contributing to sustainable livelihoods. The modern bioenergy and bioproducts sectors generate more renewable energy jobs than any other alternative energy industry globally, with many jobs located rurally.

Use of high-tech tools is also necessary to protect the environment by ensuring that the soils and water needed for biomass production are managed appropriately; these tools are an important part of moving to a lower-carbon economy in a cost-effective manner. Agriculture has an important role to play in helping Canada to meet its domestic goals in reducing carbon emissions, and the new markets for agricultural biomass products will help farmers to stabilize their businesses in the face of international market uncertainties.

This article is part of the Canadian Agriculture at the Cutting Edge special feature.

Photo: Shutterstock/Julie Deshaies

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Can biocleantech benefit both agriculture and the environment? - Policy Options (registration)

A view of some of the stalls at the four-day FINEX 2017 exhibition, Tehran, Iran. Posted April 6, 2017.(photo byTwitter/CCI_Brazil_Iran)

Author:Alireza Ramezani Posted May 9, 2017

The Iranian capital played host to the four-day FINEX 2017 exhibition April 15-18. The annual event gathered more than 250 Iranian entities involved in banking and finance. While organizers dubbed it an international expo, only three foreign firms took part.

One of the driving factors behind the reluctance of foreign companies to engage with FINEX 2017 was the uncertainty over the future of Iran. Overshadowing the expo was the hostile rhetoric between Tehran and Washington and the upcoming May 19 presidential elections, which some argue could lead to the election of a conservative president.

As such, the presence of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at the opening ceremony of the exhibition was perhaps an attempt to highlight the event in the face of negative sentiment against Iran. The moderate administration of President Hassan Rouhani believes that Irans ambitious economic objectives cannot be achieved without the strong presence of multinational investors in the Iranian market. This might be why Zarif, who served as Irans top nuclear negotiator, in his April 15 speech attacked those criticizing the nuclear deal, which put an end to crippling sanctions against the country.

If the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was not signed, Irans crude oil export could not exceed 1 million barrels per day [bpd] now, he said, referring to the more than 2.6 million bpd of crude being exported about one year after the implementation day of the nuclear deal. In other remarks, Zarif also noted that the state of Irans financial sector has improved significantly over the past 12 months.

Other speakers at FINEX 2017, including Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Ali Tayebnia, Securities and Exchange Organization Chairman Shapour Mohammadi, Central Bank Gov. Valiollah Seif, Vice President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari, and Central Insurance Company CEO Abdolnaser Hemmati, all voiced support for the Foreign Ministrys efforts that led to the sanctions lifting and also to positive movements in Iranian monetary and financial markets.

The most striking speech, however, was that of Sattari, who urged authorities to move from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based economy. It would be a strategic mistake if authorities keep relying on oil and gas as a major source of revenue, he said. We need to adopt an entirely new culture in the financing industry to make startups and tech companies grow, he said, praising the rise of 3,000 knowledge-based companies in the country over the past three years.

In this vein, the second-largest Iranian equity market Iran Fara Bourse (IFB) was authorized by the Securities and Exchange Organization (SEO) to dedicate a hall for emerging fintech (financial technology) companies on the sidelines of FINEX 2017. The effort, dubbed FinStarts 2017, was aimed at connecting tech-based entrepreneurs with investors. This event was the second of its kind ever held in the country, with 50 fintech firms taking part. Amir Hamouni, the CEO of IFB who spoke at the closing ceremonies of the event on April 18, said officials are planning to launch a permanent online secretariat this year to help provide immediate financial support to smart and innovative ideas if need be.

Crowdfunding is another practice that Hamouni said IFB is pursuing to help fund fintech projects by raising monetary contributions from a large number of people. He expressed hope that the instrument, along with emerging venture capital funds, would be a good way to boost fintech in the country. When asked about major barriers to a more mature market, Hamouni told Al-Monitor that legislation related to fintech must be updated. He also warned that financial institutions must either adapt to new conditions or face serious challenges, as the fintech industry is set to boom. Merger and acquisition could be a good solution for financial institutions to avoid bad days, he said in an interview with Al-Monitor on the sidelines of the event.

It appears that the Rouhani administration intends to staunchly support private fintech companies, though influential semi-private firms that are already involved in the app market might resist giving up their market share. Alireza Daliri, an official from the vice presidents Office for Science and Technology, noted in an interview with Al-Monitor that his team had done its best to keep state-affiliated groups away from the fintech industry to help improve competition. But he acknowledged that despite a recently approved law that puts a 5% cap on state companies share in knowledge-based companies, some semi-state organizations still try to get a larger piece of the cake.

Observers believe that the financial regulator has in broad terms appropriately managed the market by trying to review and adapt domestic practices, standards and procedures to international norms in the past year. Ahmad Araghchi, an SEO board member, told Al-Monitor that sanctions cut off Irans access to global financial markets for years, resulting in a lack of common literature between Iran and global markets. We already took measures to fix this problem, he said, noting that his organization has to also address a weak information technology (IT) infrastructure. Weve been negotiating with global software and hardware majors to earn their expertise and technical support to remove our IT shortcomings, he said, adding that some contracts in this vein have already been signed.

If not all, at least some European companies agree that the situation is getting better in Irans financial markets. A representative of a multinational company who participated in FINEX 2017 said European and Asian investors have been increasing their awareness of the Iranian market in the past six months. The financial consultant, who spoke with Al-Monitor on the condition of anonymity, said his company, a multinational professional services firm, already has clients in France, Germany, South Korea and Japan who are weighing whether to enter Irans financial market. He pointed out that the Iranian regulator is aware of the shortcomings and has already begun to address them through deregulation and structural reform. But to see the outcome of these new policies, Rouhani needs another four years to prove that his approach toward foreign policy and the economy will result in major boosts in investment and job creation. Whether that will occur remains to be seen.

Read More: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/05/iran-fintech-finex-2017-conference-financial-sector-startup.html

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Financial tech gaining steam in Iran - Al-Monitor

HAVE Zimbabweans become so myopic that they expect a miraculous return to economic prosperity in the post-President Robert Mugabe era? There seems to be a common misconception amongst us Zimbabweans that replacing the current government will suddenly turn the country into a bread basket again.

Granted, political instability, corruption and erroneous policy execution by government in recent years have left the country in a ravaged state with poor economic growth prospects. But does the absence of corruption and political instability guarantee a return to the kind of economic prosperity often promised by opposition politicians?

Indeed, a salient fact often muted from national economic debate is how exactly the country would position itself for competitiveness in the global economy post attaining stability. Zimbabwe is endowed with vast natural resources, but so are many other countries in the world. How the country produces, consumes and trades with other nations has important implications on the overall value we ultimately extract from our resources.

It is a fallacy to boast about natural resources in isolation in a globalised world where the factors of production land, labour, capital and entrepreneurship have been internationalised. The often-cited beacons of successful extractive industry based economies Canada, Australia and Norway all have a considerable grip on all factors of production, not just the free resource (land).Good institutions have played a key part, but crucially they have not let resource dependence undermine their long run economic growth.

What is often ignored about these countries are the underlying equally large-sized home grown technology, engineering and financial services sectors, which play an even bigger role in building cross-sector synergies and consequently their national competitive advantage.

One of the reasons why many African countries fail to negotiate better deals for their mining sectors is that they often only bring one component of the four factors of production to the table.That places them in a weak and often exploitative relationship.

Take a simplified case of a copper mine in Zambia, for example.The Zambian government offers the mine (land); Rio Tinto finances the development of the mine (foreign capital) and, of course, runs the project as a multi-national company (foreign entrepreneur).

Now Rio Tintos strategic decisions are run from the headquarters of the Anglo Australian company (skilled labour) relegating Zambia to supplying mainly operational, semi-skilled and unskilled labour.Further, the mine itself is capitalised with property, equipment and technology from foreign firms. Financing facilities are meanwhile arranged by foreign institutions in London or New York.

The major economic benefits therefore come down to royalties and taxes, of-course, but also low value non-sophisticated operational activities.It is a vicious cycle indeed; repeat this process over many years and it is apparent why some resource-rich countries are perennially impoverished.Meanwhile, other countries with no natural resources such as Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea continue to thrive economically.

In Africa, Botswana is often cited as a perfect template on how natural resources should be managed, but what exactly has driven their success?Under the Debswana model, De Beers and the Botswana government have equal equity in the venture.Careful analysis shows that the successes of the venture have historically hinged on good governance and effective government priorities aided by a small population more than the merits of the deal itself.

Patience has been a key part of Botswanas tactics.It has taken nearly half a century for Botswana to become an equal equity partner in the venture and to bargain for some limited technology transfer and value-added services as well as some human capital development in the form of select higher skilled jobs being domiciled in the country.

Botswanas weak bargaining position emanated from offering just one component of the four factors of production in negotiations.To renegotiate a better deal, Botswana leveraged the fact that their mines are globally among the highest quality and low cost to operate, their long relationship with De Beers and of course their relatively stable political climate.

Similarly, Zimbabwe will need to offer a well-crafted unique value proposition to negotiate favourable deals, otherwise benefits will remain limited. This is not insurmountable, but remains opaque at the moment.

Another hyped policy decision is on beneficiating minerals to manufacture value-added products. It is no coincidence that most of the beneficiation of minerals takes place in the developed world closer to markets where the final products are consumed. The underlying economic principle being that it is more cost efficient to transport low value added products than to transport high value finished goods.

Global supply chain networks have thus been established based on that principle with huge cost implications of tinkering with those mature value chains. To business executives, a decision to establish a refinery in a specific country is seldom political, but justified by commercial viability and pragmatism.

Multi-national mining companies are often faced with making choices on refineries locations. In that respect, Zimbabwe will compete with other industrial hubs in China, India and elsewhere. The infrastructure challenges Africa face such as energy generation capacity, the absence of adequate transport systems and dilapidated rail networks in most cases render such projects uncompetitive, particularly when the final products are intended for export.

In the absence of vibrant domestic or regional consumption, significantly expanding mining value-added manufacturing capacity appears a long-term aspiration rather than something that can be realistically achieved in a few years.

So, what will ensure that Zimbabwe does not fall into recurring strategic pitfalls where resources perpetually benefit foreigners ahead of local communities? Clearly, political stability, curbing corruption and good institutions are crucial initial steps.Beyond that, however, the strategies articulated by most political parties, lack depth and clarity on how they will counter the market forces stacked against our negotiation capabilities in the global context.

It appears constrained capital availability is the easy excuse to accept the status quo and to offer better concessions to foreign firms.That certainly is a recipe for more frustration amongst locals as that will lead to unfulfilled promises.

The nation needs to dig deeper; without carefully thought out structural reforms that tip factors of production in our favour supported by coherent cross-sector long term strategic goals, harnessing the full benefits of our natural resources will remain an unfulfilled dream.

About the Author: Hopewell Mauwa is an economic analyst and global natural resources strategist based in London. He writes in his personal capacity and can be contacted on hopewell.mauwa@cantab.net

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To what extent will natural resources contribute to Zimbabwe's economy? - New Zimbabwe.com

The Canadian Press Published Monday, May 8, 2017 12:40PM CST Last Updated Monday, May 8, 2017 6:34PM CST

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall says any attempt by Ottawa to link transfer money with a province's carbon tax policy would be a serious attack on federal-provincial relations.

Wall says memos obtained by the online publication Blacklock's Reporter show the federal government intends to tie a province's stance on carbon tax to equalization renegotiations.

In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Wall says that would violate the principles of fiscal federalism and he calls the threat unacceptable.

"I'm also asking him ... to release the unredacted version of these internal memos so all the provinces know what we're dealing with here," Wall said Monday at the legislature.

"I think this is very serious. If the federal government is now saying, 'Look, if you don't support us here, you won't get any of this money,' to which all provinces are entitled to on a formula, well that's less like how to run a federation and more like how you run a crime family."

Equalization is a federal program that transfers money to poorer provinces so they can offer government services at similar levels across the country.

Wall argues Saskatchewan's resource-based economy has contributed more than $5 billion to equalization over the last decade, while receiving nothing in payments.

Saskatchewan officials are contacting the federal government to find out what's being considered, he said.

"First of all, the fact that it would be mused about even is a concern to me, that there's someone in the Department of Finance -- and I have to think it wouldn't be without license from someone very senior -- who's thinking about, well, should equalization payments be tied to some province's support of a specific federal Liberal policy," said Wall.

"That kind of discussion shouldn't even be happening, never mind in the senior levels at the Department of Finance."

He said he's also concerned about other transfer payments including for health, education and infrastructure funding.

Environment Minister Catherine McKenna's office tried to ease Wall's concerns in a statement on Monday.

"The issue of pricing carbon pollution is unrelated to the federal government's continual engagement with the provinces on the topic of equalization. Linking the two is not a conversation we are having with the provinces," she said in the email.

Wall said he's pleased to hear McKenna's assurances, but her comments don't address other types of federal payments, such as infrastructure funding.

Trudeau has said all provinces must set up a cap-and-trade system or impose a price on carbon of at least $10 per tonne starting next year, which would increase to $50 by 2022, or Ottawa will do it for them.

Eleven provinces and territories agreed to the carbon price plan in December when they signed the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

Saskatchewan and Manitoba did not.

McKenna told The Canadian Press last week that negotiations with the two provinces have continued.

Wall said Saskatchewan will continue to oppose any attempt by the federal government to impose a carbon tax on Saskatchewan.

"Meet us in court," said Wall.

"My point to the federal government is, if they think they have the constitutional authority to impose a carbon tax on one or a couple of provinces, then go ahead, bring it forward and we will take this to court. We're reasonably optimistic about our chances and if they are too, that should be their final vindication."

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Wall criticizes attempt to link carbon policy with provincial transfer payments - CTV News