Scans, Stoicism, ESG.
This has been a week of preparation for my medical review. Bloods done, scans on Friday and my consultation next week. There is nothing one can do but wait and see the results when I am in the consultations. Be stoic until then!
One of the Christmas presents that Maggie and Selby gave me was a book on Stoicism. It is a book with a mix of quotes from mostly ancient philosophers and the author's explanation as he sees the meaning of each one. Many books that include the author's interpretations are normally focused more on self-achievement than a ‘so-called’ balanced way of life. Reading that type of content has rarely impressed me in the past. Despite this, the quotes of the ancient philosophers are well worth the read and the author's notes on each daily quote help with your own reflections on the meaning. The main vein is do not worry about what you cannot change, external influences, but work on those you can change, internal influences. I will not be going to read Harry’s book ‘Spare’, the very title suggests ‘despair’ rather than making the best of his life which would be more related to stoicism. I have avoided the listening of various interviews he and his actress wife have given. Unfortunately, as a reader and listener of the news channel headlines, I cannot avoid some of his quotes which I believe can be summed up by that old African cliché regarding blame.
“I am not the one.” - Universal African cliché
When asked who then, the answer is always, “Another one.”
“If you are narcissistic it is always easier to blame others, even loved ones. After all, why burden yourself with the guilt of your actions or words when you can pass the blame and focus your time on self-admiration.” - Peter McSporran
I thought this quote in the Spectator last week summed up the ‘woke’ brigade and the Harrys of this world. I do not mean every Harry, I apologise to any non-royal Harrys’.
“If you identify as good, you can then be bad to your sanctimonious little heart’s content.” - Julie Burchill.
Over the past few years, I have tried to read philosophy, I wish I had started earlier although I doubt the reading of it would have changed much on how I have led my life. I enjoy the few books on philosophy which I have read although my understanding or even interpretation may from time to time be somewhat contrasting to what the author was trying to convey. That is slightly stoic in itself, stoicism in perception or judgement is always up to the individual, not others.
“When your life is ruled by your concern of what others think of you, you will never be true to yourself.” - Peter McSporran
Age does not make you any more intelligent, it does however allow you to accumulate experience. What I did after losing the farms was from using my past experience, not my intelligence.
“As you get older you are more inclined to listen to others, although, at the same time, you are quicker to avoid the company and utterances of fools.” - Peter McSporran
I have always thought I had a slow temper which at times, with the right fuse, could on occasion explode. Mostly I thought myself affable, a term others would not have agreed with the more I think about it. I only now realise this on reflection and have little doubt some of my employees and colleagues would have considered me a bully. I cannot change the past but it makes me a little more thoughtful before I say something ‘harsh’ as they say in Africa.
“You cannot change what you have done in the past, unlike your future behaviour. This especially applies to how you interact with others.” - Peter McSporran
I am certainly not a very true stoic, the words and utterances of some groups and individuals still get under my skin. As I can do nothing to avoid them, I should ignore them, they are external to my personal world. I wonder in later life if they will also reflect on their behaviour, my gut feel is no.
In saying this, I can now get another thing off my chest that has lit my fuse. This fuse has been smouldering away for a number of years. The dangers of it first came to my notice a good number of years ago causing an internal conflict in myself. This is Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). The growing strength and influence of its promoters are beyond good common sense.
As an ex-African farmer and fund manager I have learnt that while we try our best in matters regarding the environment and governance, in many circumstances trying to adhere to them in the smallest detail can prevent you from achieving your goals. Especially if that said adherence required some oversight from a ‘green crusader.’ Before I retired it was becoming obvious to me that many of the guidelines used by these crusaders amply supported by their thoughtless minions could influence investors, lenders and government agencies to the detriment of good and worthwhile projects in Africa. In fact, could even lead to their destruction or failure. Their favourite tool of choice if good sense could not prevail, use the media and press.
I think the very first time I came across ESG was when I was undergoing the inspections for Forest Stewardship in Sesheke, South Westen Zambia. Many of the boxes required to be ticked would not affect the environment or the sustainability of the forest. Rather, they were considered nice things to include in the inspection without any thought on their impact. Noise of a diesel pump where there was no electricity or a tractor with an oil leak are easy examples. The more boxes to tick, the more time it takes, the more people required and the greater the cost to the applicant. There was no consideration to the size or impact of cost to the business, big or small. Having all the boxes ticked gave you a certificate allowing you to export to places such as Europe or further afield where pollution and poor environmental management was uncontrolled for years. Imagine if a small agricultural borrower in Africa was found to be spilling waste into a waterway during flooding. Instant censure and a good chance of further funding or investment being withheld until rectified, while in the UK giant corporate water companies spill sewage in millions of gallons into the rivers annually. That was maybe not the best example, but hopefully, you understand the gist. Rule number one: be stricter in the developing world than in your own backyard.
These export markets offered higher prices for your timber. At the time I wanted to include some of the small scale licensed tree harvesters knowing it was not only impractical but far too expensive for them to obtain certification. Unsurprisingly, my request was refused, being told each licensee would require its own Stewardship Inspection and Certificate. Otherwise, how could the bureaucrats running the scheme expand their business if they allowed amalgamation? Bureaucracies have to be allowed to grow!
Straight away these smallholders had to look for local markets, as we could not buy their uncertified timber for export. Who bought? The Chinese seemed to be very active with or without licences let alone certification and illegal South African sawmill operators working out of Nambia. You had to have a licence to fell and export timber, but that is only if you crossed at the border legally through Katima Mulilo on the Namibian side. Why do that when there is eighty five kilometres of flat land along the Caprivi Strip easily crossed at any point saying nothing of the Angolan border? These people were happy to buy any timber whatever the source. The problem is they discounted heavily on the price against the risk they were perceived to be taking. The same scenario has been going on in Mozambique for years despite the numerous export bans of timber being declared publicly.
Those forests in Sesheke have almost completely disappeared due to overharvesting mostly by illegal or by small operators selling to unlicensed merchants. The other problem was that raising finance without certification was extremely hard especially from wealthy ‘do-gooder’ benevolent funds. How much better would it have been to have a lower certification standard, with a good practical application to achieve the goals of sustainable forests.
“Something is manifestly wrong when an an engine oil leak can prohibit the overall sustainability of a forest.” - Peter McSporran
Now ESG has become such a factor in the boardroom that investment committee meetings are dominated by ESG, rather than financial and social viability of the business. It not only stops investment into those vulnerable societies, it can make it that much more expensive. Even in the developed world, industries that are considered ‘dirty’ such as energy are charged more in interest or are prohibited from some funder's portfolio. This importantly also means your pension money or investment funds will not achieve the best opportunity return as these non financial factors have become more important than your personal return. I have read this may be about to change now with the macro level of finance, this practice is being challenged, not just verbally in the boardroom but in the courts too. I do not disagree with good ESG. However, they just must be practical and applicable to the culture and enviroment, rather than rules generated by a ‘snowball’ perception. A lot more can be said about this so a breath for now before writing further about it.
Research and Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) Politics
One of the first people I met in joining the Commercial Oilseeds Producers Association (COPA) was the association Secretary, Ingrid Tanner. She was one of those quiet efficient women who kept what others told her to herself. In the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) building, I was to find that the personal life of elected members was an excellent subject for staff to discuss in spare moments over teas on the respective commodity floors. By coincidence, the building had nine floors letting the associations or departments have a floor to themselves. Oilseeds were on the 5th Floor.
Ingrid, her husband, Michael and I, became great friends and fishing buddies. Michael was a generous man, well-known in agricultural circles as a crop protection specialist, golfer and organiser of wonderful fishing trips. Diane and I joined Ingrid and Micheal frequently on the boat, The Silver Fox even after we bought shares in our own boat. Further, Micheal used to organise annual ‘boys’ fishing trips on the Seahorse or Sea Lion, two ferries that used to ply the length of the lake. These trips were always a week in length and the latter would include some twenty plus fishermen mostly with connections in farming although town dwellers were invited too. Such wonderful times. Sadly, Micheal passed away far too young. Ingrid and I would often sneak down to the Bamboo Inn for lunch when I was in town, this continued even when I became President of the CFU. She was a great friend and confidant who I often reflect about. On Michael’s death things were very hard for her, yet she never complained.
In Oilseeds, we had a number of insightful elected members who were advising that farmers should now fund their own research and extension services privately. This thinking was brought about because of three reasons supported by strong arguments. The first was the belief that agricultural extension and research would not get the priority or level of funding it had received in the past. Health and education would be the politically wise benefactors to a large portion of the state's funds. The second argument was that research and extension would be more focused on the development of the smallholder sector rather than commercial and the final, slightly more controversial argument was that the Government Department of Research and Specialist Services (DRSS) would collapse with the experienced scientists heading to greener pastures. There was some resistance to do this from CFU members as levies were already going to government services and the government had said commercial agriculture would be preserved and even developed further.
David Stobart, a past Chairman, was the main flag bearer of this idea, ably supported by our chairman Warwick Hale. They came up with the plan in 1983 to buy what was to become the renowned Agricultural Research Trust (ART) Farm just on the northern outskirts of Harare. I remember those days very clearly in trying to obtain the land, all the arguments for and against and the lobbying to try and get the other commodity associations on board. So many diverse opinions and agendas, after all, we were a bunch of farmers. Our main problem was the Commercial Grain Association (CGP), by far the strongest association at that time as nearly every farmer grew maize. They also had full coffers unlike many of the smaller associations. They had the means to fund such an undertaking. Cotton already had its own dedicated research farm in the Gatooma area, although quasi-state owned. As a distraction for those that may not remember, grain had an internal war going on with two factions vying for control, one led by Bud Whittaker and the other by Bob Rutherford. Both of these men had an eye on the presidency of the CFU. One liberal, the other, hard-nosed. It was resolved by splitting grain into two associations, the newly formed Winter Cereals Association (WCA) representing wheat and barley growers, while the CGP represented maize and sorghum growers. The outcome of this was that on Jim Sinclair retiring, John Laurie on becoming president extended his tenor by an extra year to ensure Bob Rutherford became his vice. This proved to me, even farmers' politics can be brutal.
On a positive note, the CGP and WCA agreed to join us at COPA in the purchase and development of ART Farm with the legendary Richard Winkfield taking on the job as Director. I was planning to talk more about research, but have already said too much this week.
Disclaimer: Copyright Peter McSporran. The content in this blog represents my personal views and does not reflect corporate entities.
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