USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue yesterday called the EU a “technology-free zone” when it comes to agriculture. It is true that Europe’s resistance to change has presented problems for U.S. agriculture and poses future risk to EU farmers if they are prevented from utilizing new plant breeding techniques. However, the U.S. is having its own problems with changes in the agriculture sector. In defense of old-school animal agriculture, several states have been pushing to restrict the labeling and promotion of cell-based meats. Indeed, Richard Berman of the Center for Consumer Freedom argues for an aggressive attack campaign against “fake” meat by that sector. He contends that conventional businesses too often view newc...
Key Market Insights The broad market is locked in on this week’s Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, but this is no longer just a trade summit. Increasingly, the meeting is becoming tied directly to Iran, energy security, and the growing global economic fallout from disruptions through the Strai...
From WPI Consulting
Forecasting developments in production agriculture
On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.