Organic Brouhaha At least four activist groups have charged that USDA guts national organic law. The agency purportedly changed the process by which otherwise prohibited substances (e.g. synthetics) are allowed in foods labeled as organic. Instead of going through the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) appointed by USDA, the agency itself may be making the determinations. The designation "organic" is not a science-based standard, but rather a politically-based marketing scheme. The NOSB is populated by six organic industry representatives, six activists (environmental and consumer) plus one scientist, the latter being a certification employee of the organic industry. If there is a real brouhaha here, it will make the 22-24 October...
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.