FARMING AND HEALTH

Tabinda Ashraf Shahid 

Published November 7, 2023 

AT the core of food security is not only the need to provide sufficient, safe and nutritious food to fill empty stomachs but also to avoid malnutrition and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Sustainable agriculture practices can support this goal by encouraging the optimal use of resources and by preserving the ecosystem.

Unfortunately, many cultivation practices and extreme weather conditions have combined to disrupt food systems around the globe. This is the source of surging nutritional deficiencies and diet-related NCDs. Agriculture affects food security and malnutrition in a variety of ways; a quality crop with high yield is affordable, nutritious and available. It also provides more micronutrients hence there’s less chance of developing deficiencies.

According to the World Food Programme, in 2023, about 345 million people around the globe face acute levels of food insecurity, with 783m experiencing extreme hunger due to wars, low economic growth, climate shocks and high fertiliser prices. Globally, every third person is malnourished — a figure predicted to reach one in two by 2025. Currently, 151m children are underweight and 38m children who are overweight have a greater chance of developing NCDs later in life, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, etc. Pakistan is the fifth most densely inhabited country carrying the burden of NCDs which continues to rise and is accountable for 58 per cent of all deaths.

The SDGs 2030 and the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025) have advocated food and health privileges by remodelling the food system to eradicate all forms of malnourishment, a prominent cause of diet-related NCDs. That can be achieved by adopting a sustainable agriculture system, better species of seeds, sensible fertilisation, and the more efficient use of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilisers, as well as the use of organic fertilisers, to improve crop production and quality, while reducing soil PH and increasing the availability of iron and zinc in the soil and grain. Modern biotechnology (crop bio-fortification with iron and zinc which are vital for immunity) can also be used to increase the bioavailability of these nutrients in staple crops.

Globally, every third person is malnourished.

Plant growth and production depend on soil nutrients which produce 95pc of food, affecting nutrient composition and its availability to the body. To increase yield, chemical sprays, pesticides and antibiotics are used in large quantities. Unfortunately, these also kill useful pests and negatively impact soil health and nutrients. It is estimated that 200,000 deaths annually are associated with the faulty application of pesticides, mostly in developing countries due to poor awareness.

Besides ignoring the social and economic dimensions, environmental factors are not considered in conventional farming, affecting food sustainability and productivity. Recurrent planting of the same crops, extreme use of fossil fuels, chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and the excessive use of water and energy resources increase the cost and decrease the nutrients, and are hostile to the environment. Meanwhile, the excessive use of fertilisers can pollute underground water, including drinking water resources.

For encouraging a sustainable approach in farming, regenerative agriculture has appeared as a significant alternative. Practices such as restoring soil health by growing cover crops (crops grown closely to give protective cover to the soil), rotational crops and composting will help restore fertility and enhance nutrient availability.

Climate cha­n­­ge is another global health th­­reat. Alter­at­ions in temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns and storm and drought conditions affect crop quality and quantity. Regenerative agriculture contributes to climate change adaptation and reduces GHG emissions and conserves water resources. It is also useful for biodiversity conservation.

Agricultural attainments need to be promoted in view of human health and safety. Unfortunately, policymaking is often conducted in silos so that there are implementation gaps between farming practices and the health sector. It is imperative to focus on the cultivation of nutrient-dense crops rather than the quantity of yield. Public-private partnerships and incentives can promote agro-ecology research, while the agriculture and health administrations should work closely and realise that farming practices are directly associated with health and nutrition. An adaptive management attitude is required to work on regenerative and sustainable agriculture practices to restore and nurture the health of the soil, and protect the environment and resources, while increasing crop nutrients to avoid deficiencies and disease.

The writer is editor of Scientific Investigation and Global Network of Scientists (SIGNS).

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2023

TALIBAN'S SHADOW

Touqir Hussain 

Published November 7, 2023 

PAKISTAN and Afghanistan have always had a complex relationship that has been mishandled by both sides. Each has expected the other to make up for the failure of its own policies, has sought solutions that were worse than the problem, and has become friendly with the other’s enemies. Pakistan needs a sound strategy to deal with a relationship that is critical to the two countries’ security, economic future and political stability.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have a shared but contentious history, overlapping identities, a disputed border, divided ethnicity and bifurcated tribes. These ingredients provided each with an opportunity to interfere in the other’s affairs, as well as incentives for ambitious policies. The two had also become dependent on external powers, subordinate to the latter’s security and strategic interests and victims of their wars. All this negatively impacted their domestic dynamics.

It puzzles Pakistanis that the Afghans are not grateful for all that they did for them. True, Afghanistan was liberated from Soviet occupation, and later, according to a former prime minister, it broke “the chains of slavery” that had tied it to another superpower. But what did the Afghans get on being ‘liberated’, a process in which Pakis­tan helped not once but twice? The Taliban.

The Taliban are no liberators except through a lens distorted by narrow nationalism, religious extremism, anti-Americanism and political opportunism. The reality is that under Taliban rule, the Afghans are undergoing prison-like restrictions. The treatment of women alone is a crime against humanity.

Only the Afghans can stabilise Afghanistan.

Contrary to what some Pakistanis think, the Afghan Taliban’s fight was not for the Afghans but for their own power and ideology that arose not from a conflict among the Afghans, but between Afghans and the Taliban.

It is true the Taliban had a following among the rural poor especially in Pakhtun areas — similar to how extremist religious elements appeal to many among Pakistan’s low-income groups. But would our educated population aspiring to democracy and progress like them to come to power? So why would Afghanistan’s educated favour the Taliban? Do they deserve or aspire to anything less?

For most Afghans, it was important that in the 20 years before the Taliban’s return, education and healthcare facilities had expanded, women’s rights, including work opportunities, had improved, and citizens had experienced political freedoms.

Yes, the elite were corrupt and primarily responsible for Afghanistan’s failure. But the Taliban were not the substitute. Nor can they be termed an entirely Afghan phenomenon. Only by acknowledging this and owning its share of the responsibility can Pakistan understand the true ramifications of the Taliban challenge.

The UN Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team has named several groups that helped the Taliban’s fight. Now again, they enjoy their protection in Afghanistan, as they did before 2001. The nexus among the Taliban and these ‘brothers in faith’ that include the TTP and other Pakistani militant groups lies at the heart of the terrorist threats Pakistan faces.

We cannot bank on the Taliban to act against them as this could cause their own disintegration. They are already fighting groups opposed to them including the National Resistance Front and transnational terrorist groups like the Islamic State-Khorasan. Any military action or economic pressure by us will cause further instability in Afghanistan.

The Taliban might be able to control Afghanistan but not dominate, much less stabilise, it. Given its fault lines, competitive geopolitics and regio­nal politics, and its conflict-prone int­ernal make-up, Afghanistan can’t be stable without a dedicated effort by Afghans and the global community. That won’t happen under the Taliban. Even China’s economic role would remain small.

What are the options? Pakistan can’t stabilise Afghanistan; only the Afghans can. But Pakistan must work with regional countries to avoid instability there. The Moscow Format Consultation is a good initiative. More important, though, are the steps Pakistan takes at home. It must launch an earnest campaign to curb the expanding influence of extremist groups. If Islamabad eventually weakens them, it would have undermined their ties with the Taliban and Afghanistan’s potential to harm us.

The Taliban’s Afghanistan won’t bring us economic or strategic benefits. A grand design thus is neither needed nor workable. Pakistan’s only realistic aim, for now, should be a narrowly focused working relationship, that avoids extreme measures, helps but not strengthens the Taliban, and promotes human rights especially women’s rights, ie, a short-term plan with a long-term view.

The writer, a former ambassador, is adjunct professor Georgetown University and Visiting Senior Research Fellow, National University of Singapore.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2023

One-party state?

DAWN
Editorial

Published November 7, 2023 

BANGLADESH has witnessed remarkable economic success over the years, with a thriving garment industry and significant poverty reduction. But beneath this veneer of prosperity lies a troubling trend of political consolidation. The recent crackdown on opposition figures and leaders, including the arrest of nearly 8,000 individuals associated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, raises serious concerns about the state of democracy in the country. These arrests, which have come in the lead-up to a general election scheduled for January, reflect a disturbing pattern of political victimisation. Four-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed appears to have embraced a more autocratic approach over time, steadily abandoning democratic principles during her combined total of 19 years in office. Her government has effectively taken control of key institutions, including the police, military, and judiciary, by appointing loyalists and suppressing dissent. The consequences for those who do not align with the government’s agenda have been severe, with opposition leaders, artists, journalists, and activists all facing persecution. One of the most concerning aspects of this crackdown is the widespread use of politically motivated court cases. Thousands of opposition members are entangled in legal battles, with charges that lack substantial evidence. The situation has escalated to the point where Bangladesh is on the verge of becoming a one-party state. Opposition leaders say that their movement seeks to restore multiparty democracy, but they face obstacles such as the incarceration of former premier Khaleda Zia and the exile of her son.

The international community has expressed concerns over these developments, with the US imposing sanctions on senior police figures for human rights violations. However, the government’s grip on power remains strong, and its ability to suppress dissent appears unchecked. As Bangladesh approaches a pivotal election, the world is watching closely. The international community, democratic nations, and organisations must monitor the situation and apply diplomatic pressure. The people of Bangladesh deserve a free and fair election without fear of political victimisation.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2023

MONOPOLY CAPITALI$M

Crescent Point solidifies Montney dominance in $2.55B deal for Hammerhead Energy

Amanda Stephenson, The Canadian Press

Crescent Point Energy Corp. has inked another blockbuster deal in the Canadian oilpatch, solidifying its place as the dominant player in the Montney, one of North America's largest unconventional petroleum plays.

The Calgary-based oil and gas company announced Monday it will purchase Hammerhead Energy Inc., a Calgary-based energy company with assets in the Montney region of northwest Alberta, for a total of $2.55 billion, including approximately $455 million of Hammerhead's net debt.

The deal will see Crescent Point acquire approximately 105,000 acres and 800 drilling locations in the region, immediately making Crescent Point the largest landowner in the Alberta Montney's volatile oil fairway. 

The company is already the largest landowner in the adjacent Kaybob Duvernay shale play.

The purchase will also see Crescent Point become Canada's seventh-largest oil and gas exploration and production company by volume, with production expected to total over 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day once the deal is closed.

In the Montney specifically, the deal will result in Crescent Point increasing its production in the region by 56,000 boe/d in 2024, to 94,000 boe/d — nearly half of the company's overall estimated production for next year.

The deal, which includes approximately $455 million of Hammerhead’s net debt, will see Hammerhead shareholders receive $21 per fully diluted common share, through a combination of approximately $1.5 billion in cash and 53.2 million common shares of Crescent Point.

The deal is expected to close in December 2023.

"As you can tell, we're very excited about this strategic consolidation opportunity, and the future outlook for the company," said Crescent Point CEO Craig Bryksa on a conference call to discuss the acquisition Monday. 

"We believe this acquisition solidifies the company's future outlook by establishing a dominant position in one of North America's premier reservoirs."

Crescent Point has been on a buying spree recently as it has sought to optimize its asset portfolio. Earlier this year, the company snapped up Spartan Delta Corp.'s assets in the Montney for $1.7 billion.

The Montney and the Kaybob Duvernay represent what Crescent Point believes are its greatest opportunity. In August, the company announced it would sell off its North Dakota assets to focus more on the Montney and Duvernay.

In 2021, Crescent Point acquired Shell Canada's Kaybob Duvernay assets for $900 million in 2021 and has made additional purchases since.

There have been a string of high-profile deals in Canada's energy sector this year.

Other acquisitions of note include ConocoPhillips's approximately $4-billion purchase of TotalEnergies' Surmont oilsands project; Suncor Energy Inc.'s $1.47-billion acquisition of Total's stake in the Fort Hills oilsands mine and Tourmaline Oil Corp.'s purchase of Bonavista Energy Corp. for $1.45 billion.

The wave of consolidation is in part the result of two years of strong commodity prices. Many companies are flush with cash and have rapidly been paying down debt, giving them a strong enough balance sheet to pursue growth through acquisitions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2023.

'Doesn't make sense': Business leaders say halted trade talks harm India and Canada

BNN Bloomberg

Business leaders continue to grapple with the economic uncertainty fostered by the rift between the Canadian and Indian governments, saying the suspension of free trade talks hurts both sides.

The heads of several commercial groups say the souring relationship marks a major hurdle to boosting bilateral trade beyond last year's $20.9 billion in goods and services and deters Indian students from studying in Canada.

Relations between the two countries eroded after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament on Sept. 18 that New Delhi may have been involved in the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh independence activist.

In response, the Indian government suspended visa services for Canadian citizens — partially restored last month — and revoked diplomatic immunity from Canadian diplomats, prompting two-thirds of them to leave the country.

Canada India Foundation chairman Satish Thakkar says cancelling the trade talks — Canada halted them on Sept. 1 — "doesn't make sense" given the potential loss to both parties, and believes the higher tensions mark the lowest point in Canada-India relations since the 1970s.

Victor Thomas, who heads the Canada-India Business Council, says the resulting uncertainty has derailed some Indian students who were mulling post-secondary education in Canada, a talent pool that makes up the largest slice of the country's international student body at 40 per cent.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2023.

LEAVE CPP ALONE

Alberta would need to negotiate international agreements if it quits CPP: Freeland

The Canadian Press

Federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Friday that if Alberta were to quit the Canada Pension Plan, it would need to launch a "complex and multi-year process" of negotiating international social security agreements to deal with contributors who work abroad. 

Freeland listed that effort among other steps she says the Alberta government, as well as the federal government, would need to take if Premier Danielle Smith decides to withdraw the province from the federal retirement plan and set up its own program. 

Her remarks came following a virtual meeting with provincial finance ministers, in which she says they discussed the consequences of Alberta going ahead with its proposal. 

"Of course Alberta has the right to withdraw," Freeland told reporters. 

"But Alberta's choice about the (Canada Pension Plan) also implicates every single Canadian." 

Freeland, who called herself a "proud daughter of Alberta," said she is hearing from Albertans who are concerned about the idea and is asking the chief actuary to "provide an estimate of the asset transfer," based on  a "reasonable interpretation of the provisions in the (Canada Pension Plan) legislation." 

On the issue of negotiating international social security agreements, Freeland told reporters during Friday's news conference that if Alberta launched its own program it would need to do so to "ensure similar treatment of contributors who spend part of their careers aboard." 

Quebec has negotiated its own such agreements with 39 countries, while Canada has done the same with 60. 

"This would be a complex and multi-year process and it would be taking place at a time of real uncertainty," Freeland said, both in terms of "geopolitical uncertainty" and "global economic uncertainty." 

The Alberta government argues that its workers have contributed an oversized share to the national fund and would be in line for big savings and payouts if it were to leave the CPP.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith had planned to hold a possible referendum on leaving the CPP in 2025, but now says she won’t go ahead with such a vote until governments or the courts deliver a hard number on how much Alberta will get if it leaves the plan.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2023.

 

Zara Canada being investigated by ethics watchdog over alleged links to forced labour

The Canadian Press

Canada's corporate ethics czar says it has launched a fact-finding investigation into allegations that Zara Canada Inc. is working with companies that use forced labour in China.

The Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise says its investigation into the apparel company stems from allegations made by 28 civil society organizations.

The organizations alleged in June that Zara Canada has supply relationships with three Chinese companies identified as using or benefitting from the use of Uyghur forced labour.

The ombudsperson says Zara Canada has denied the allegations and said the complaint is inadmissible because the alleged human rights abuses do not arise from its operations. 

The ombudsperson added Zara Canada declined mediation, saying it does not have a commercial relationship with any factory in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

Zara is the eighth company the ombudsperson has investigated for using Uyghur forced labour in its supply chain. Other companies it has looked into include Ralph Lauren Canada LP, Walmart Canada, Hugo Boss Canada Inc., Diesel Canada Inc. and mining company Gobi Man and says more assessments will be made public in the coming weeks.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2023.

UK online fashion retailer Boohoo defends

supplier treatment after BBC probe


A woman poses with a smartphone showing the Boohoo app in front of the Boohoo logo on display in this illustration taken September 30, 2020. 

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo© Thomson Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - British online fashion retailer Boohoo defended its treatment of suppliers on Monday after the BBC said it had seen evidence of staff pressuring suppliers to drive prices down, even after deals had been agreed.

BBC Television conducted an investigation with an undercover reporter, who worked for 10 weeks at Boohoo's head office in Manchester as an administrative assistant.

"Like all businesses, we have experienced significant cost inflation over the last year, which we have absorbed in order to maintain affordable prices for customers," a spokesperson for Boohoo said in a statement.

"As the cost of raw materials, freight and energy started to come down, the Group asked its suppliers to reflect this in their pricing through discounts of between 1 and 10%, and we passed the savings onto customers," the spokesperson said.

In 2020, Boohoo accepted all the recommendations of an independent review that found major failings in its supply chain in England after newspaper allegations about working conditions and low pay in factories in the Leicester area.

It pledged to fix the problems with its "Agenda for Change" programme.

"Boohoo has not shied away from dealing with the problems of the past and we have invested significant time, effort and resource into driving positive change across every aspect of our business and supply chain," the spokesperson said.

Boohoo had made a number of improvements, including strengthening the ethical and compliance obligations on those wishing to supply Boohoo and regularly publishing a full list of approved global manufacturers.

"The action we've taken has already delivered significant change and we will continue to deliver on the commitments we've made," the spokesperson said.

Boohoo and rival ASOS grew rapidly during the pandemic when high street rivals were shuttered by lockdowns.

But supply chain issues, higher product returns, competition from rivals like Shein and rapidly rising living costs hit them hard.

Both Boohoo and ASOS have warned on the outlook in recent weeks.

Shares in Boohoo, 16.5% of which are owned by Mike Ashley's Frasers, fell as much as 2.6% before paring losses to stand 0.8% lower at 1039 GMT, extending a decline over the last year to 28%.

(Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

 

Quebec English universities promise to offer more French if tuition hike is scrapped

BNN Bloomberg

McGill University campus is seen Tuesday, June 21, 2016 in Montreal. , THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Quebec's English-language universities say they will ensure that more out-of-province students graduate with a knowledge of French if the government doesn't double their tuition.

The heads of McGill, Concordia and Bishop's universities made the proposal to Quebec Premier François Legault and Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry during a meeting in Montreal today.

They were convened to the meeting after the government recently announced it would increase tuition for out-of-province students to $17,000 from around $9,000 as a way to protect French.

Concordia University president Graham Carr described today's meeting as "constructive" and said he and his colleagues were told the government would respond soon.

In an email to university staff, Concordia University said the plan would include a compulsory French course for out-of-province students, as well as other programs intended to help them integrate into Quebec's culture and labour market.

Legault's office said the meeting was private and declined to comment. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2023.

Ontario plans to require salary ranges be included in job postings

The Canadian Press

Ontario is planning to require employers to include salary ranges in job postings and disclose if artificial intelligence is used during the hiring process.

Labour Minister David Piccini says those changes will be part of legislation he will soon introduce and will help workers make informed decisions.

He says that including salary ranges in job postings could help close the gender pay gap, as women still earn an average of just 87 cents for every dollar earned by men.

Piccini is also announcing today that the province is considering banning the use of non-disclosure agreements in cases of workplace sexual harassment, misconduct or violence.

Ontario has previously banned the use of NDAs in sexual misconduct cases among post-secondary employees who are looking for work at a different institution.

Members of the Canadian Bar Association voted in favour of discouraging the use of non-disclosure agreements in cases of abuse and harassment.

The government says seven in 10 workers have reported experiencing a form of harassment or violence in their workplace, with the rates even higher for women and gender-diverse people.

"We want to hear from Ontarians and (our) consultations will work with the legal community, survivors, employers to identify those options to restrict the use of NDAs while protecting the rights of victims," Piccini said in an interview. 

"NDAs should never be used to silence victims, and those who've done that, their time's up."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2023.

BIG TOBACCO INVESTS IN POT

Organigram soars on BAT investment

Jordan Fleguel, BNN Bloomberg

ORGANIGRAM HOLDINGS INC (OGI:CT)

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Organigram Holdings Inc., one of Canada’s largest cannabis producers, announced a $124.6 million investment from British American Tabacco (BAT) on Monday. 

The cannabis company said a large chunk of the money would be used to set up a new strategic investment pool.

Organigram shares rose 30 per cent on the news. The stock was up 25 per cent as of 11:20 a.m. on Monday.

BAT already owns an 18.8 per cent stake in Organigram, and the proposed deal will see it increase its voting common share ownership stake to 30 per cent and raise its overall equity interest to 45 per cent.

Organigram said it plans to use $83.1 million of BAT’s investment to create a strategic investment pool known as "Jupiter" to help grow its geographic footprint and invest in emerging growth opportunities, with the rest being used for general corporate purposes.

“We are excited to bring this transformative transaction to Organigram’s shareholders, reinforcing our commitment to delivering shareholder value,” Organigram CEO Beena Goldenberg said in a Monday press release.

“This investment bolsters an already strong balance sheet and solidifies our position as a leading cannabis company.”

In its own press release on Monday, BAT said it has been “pleased with Organigram’s performance and continues to be impressed by the careful financial governance of the company.”

Organigram shares were up 48 cents at $2.07 in early trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

With files from the Canadian Press