World Perspectives

Bitter Problem; Blatant Nationalism

Bitter Problem The U.S. sugar program is an protectionist abomination emanating from a political deal in the 1981 farm bill. Unlike other crops that are subsidized directly by the government, sugar erects restrictive import quotas and then forces American consumers to pay 2-3 times the world price. It is justified on the basis that Europe and other countries subsidize their own sugar production, though that argument has weakened over the years. Opponents of U.S. sugar policy have fought against it for decades, with zero progress to show.  The latest knight to come along in pursuit of reform is Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire). She is not seeking its elimination but cites a report by the Government Accountability Office sugges...

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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.

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