In yet another comprehensive piece for Resource Investor Aheadoftheherd.com host and Northern Venture Group President Rick Mills discusses the issue of global resource insecurity. Pointing out a long list of “serious concerns in regards to global resource extraction that we need to consider,” Mills’ piece zeroes in on costs, resource nationalism, civil unrest directed towards mining, and the role of urbanization and population growth particularly in countries like China and India, as well as on the African continent.
Mills predicts that:
“[a]ccessing a sustainable, and secure, supply of raw materials is going to become the number one priority for all countries. Increasingly we are going to see countries ensuring their own industries have first rights of access to internally produced commodities and they will look for such privileged access from other countries.”
He concludes:
“The supply of most commodities is going to tighten. This undeniable fact should be on everyone’s radar screen. Is it on yours? If not, it should be.”
Thankfully, there are signs that the issue is increasingly appearing on Washington DC policymakers’ radar screens – let’s hope momentum keeps building for a the formulation of a comprehensive U.S. mineral strategy in light of the many challenges we’re facing in this area.