U.S. Soybean Industry Takes Sustainability Message to European Buyers I have been in Istanbul, Turkey this week attending a European Buyers Conference organized by the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC). The focus of this year's conference was the sustainability of U.S. soybeans. The attendees heard speakers detail all of the regulations that U.S. soybean farmers must comply with in order to be eligible for U.S. farm programs and to avoid administrative actions against them by various environmental and conservation agencies at the national, state and, sometimes, county levels. Speakers showed how U.S. soybean farmers have increased their production while simultaneously reducing their consumption of energy and pesticides. They also sho...
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.
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...