Wine over Beer Policymakers hoping to compel the citizenry into drastic actions to cut carbon emissions have poured cold water on their messaging with the current energy price spike. Now opponents are piling on with their own stark reminders of how cold literally kills. Winter cold still kills more people than heat, and those yearning to protect biodiversity must contend with the Latitudinal Diversity Gradient (LDG). Basically, biological diversity is greatest at the equator and declines sharply as geography moves to temperate zones. There are a few theories for LDG including the adverse impacts of climate harshness (cold) and variability (seasonal transitions). Wine connoisseurs note that grapes grow better in warmer climes whereas whisky...
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.