Resource nationalism on the rise, says VRIC’s Jay Martin, as mining juniors head to Vancouver

There’s no denying the world is an entirely different place compared with a year ago, says Cambridge House International’s president and CEO, Jay Martin, as more than 300 mining juniors prepare to attend the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference (VRIC) on Jan. 29-30.

“The era of trust is over,” he declares. “We are entering a new era of de-globalization. The trust that allowed for global trade over the last 30 years has shifted irreversibly, and countries are now scrambling to secure supplies of natural resources as a matter of national security,” he said in an interview with The Northern Miner.

As a result, he believes that demand for critical resources will skyrocket, which will be central to the discussions and companies that will be part of this year’s event.

“We have gathered over 300 companies that are exploring for and producing these natural resources so investors can position themselves accordingly,” says Martin.

This year’s conference will delve into global macro topics such as the European energy crisis; the new generation of currency wars unfolding; a discussion of gold’s role in this new environment — starting with central banks stockpiling at a faster rate than they have in half a century; and to showcase exploration and production of the most critical commodities the world needs to move forward.

Martin, who is also the event’s host, says politics will also be a key topic, as he believes that the federal government is not supportive enough of the junior resource industry.

“Canada came through the Great Financial Crisis of 2008 among the strongest of the G8 nations because the government at the time could leverage the resource economy that the world needed. Today, we’ve essentially turned our backs on that primary industry,” he says.

Martin explains the breadbasket of Canada entails Alberta and Saskatchewan largely. “They’ve abundant oil, gas, uranium and agriculture. But they’re landlocked provinces and can’t get their products to market without the cooperation of neighbours such as British Columbia, which is the gateway to Asian markets.”

“For that reason, we’ve invited the former premiers. I’m looking forward to digging into those conversations,” Martin says.

Over 100 speakers will take the stage during the two-day conference to discuss commodity forecasts and investment opportunities in the exploration, development and mining industries.

The VRIC is Canada’s largest mining investment-specific conference, providing the retail investor with a means to translate macro trends into actionable investment decisions, Martin says.

The overarching goal is to educate investors like himself on how to profit from the commodities markets. “We invite our presenters from all perspectives to give us their take on current issues. While I do not necessarily agree with everybody, I use the opportunity to distill my views by assessing all perspectives,” says Martin.

Other keynote speakers will include globally respected economists, money managers, newsletter writers and investors.

The VRIC has encouraged junior mining investment in Canada for 25 years and attracts over 5,000 investors annually. Among these count personalities like Rick Rule, Frank Giustra, Ross Beaty, Simon Moores, Kai Hoffmann, to name but a handful.

Former prime minister Stephen Harper and former president of Mexico Felipe Calderon have attended previous years.

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