Wheat Brazil Last week Brazil became the first country to authorize the use of wheat flour made with genetically modified (GM) wheat (specifically, the HB4 variety at issue between Brazil and Argentina). The authorization is only for flour and does not include the commercialization and/or imports of GM wheat grain. The decision was made by a technical agency claiming its safety for consumption but does not consider the market or consumer behavior. The main concern along the wheat value chain is consumers’ reactions. Is the Brazilian population ready to eat bread produced with GM wheat/flour? Will it affect demand for products (bread, biscuits, pasta, etc.) that Brazil exports? Nobody knows, but Brazilian millers don’t w...
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.