I have been involved in research, but I didn't want to suggest that technology always comes from elsewhere. On the contrary, we've been working on a research project in which we've seen the inventiveness of technologies within Africa and by Africans.
In the field of mining, it is interesting that some of the technologies used in large-scale and middle-scale operations can be not just competitive but can also complement one another, and that is an issue that we should all think more about.
That is a field that I've been doing my own research on. Sometimes these forms of mining are seen as completely contradictory. I would argue that since livelihoods are at stake, we should pay much more attention to assigning ore bodies and deciding what ways of mining are best suited for particular parts of the ore bodies. We should also take into account that large-scale mining can take place in certain areas of the ore bodies, whereas additional mining or mid-scale mining can take place in others. I think there are complementarities to look for that would also open up room for more forms of livelihood from additional small-scale mining.
Burkina Faso is a country that could help us, because Burkina Faso has a regulation that is making it possible for artisanal mining to be legal. There is a lot of work to be done, but large-scale mining, or Canadian mining, does not necessarily have to drive out other forms of mining; it can be performed next to it or in addition to it.