Many respondents to a recent WPI poll said that one impact of the COVID-19 crisis would be increased localization in the food supply. Indeed, there was already a push in Europe toward shorter supply chains, though mostly to boost farm income versus the current concern about food supply availability. However, this ignores the benefits of the current industrial structure, and the risks or costs of returning to the past. It is currently the middle of the supply chain that is broken – the processing of commodities into finished goods, which is mostly a short-term labor constraint. Large industrial scale processing and global distribution is more efficient, and arguably deploys greater food safety protocols than managing a multitude...
From WPI Consulting
Infrastructure investment due diligence
On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.