Disagreeing to Talk Developing countries oppose using a draft WTO text on agriculture as a basis for further negotiation, despite the fact it is merely a discussion document. By contrast, Australia, the U.S., EU, Switzerland, and Cairns group acknowledge its imperfections and have agreed to discuss amending it. The rationale for opposition is clear – just like the legal theory that possession is nine-tenths of the law, it is easier to defend and thus more difficult to amend words that are already on paper. The reason that the draft text is more acceptable to the rich countries is two-fold: 1) it involves more of what lies at the heart of the WTO, trade liberalization; and 2) being rich means being powerful and things do not happen wi...
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.