World Perspectives

Buying Food; Ethanol and Emissions; Food System and China Buys

Buying Food USDA is forecasting that grocery prices will rise by 3 percent this year, the largest increase since 2011 and mostly due to animal proteins. That is more than three times the overall inflation rate. Five economists from four different universities analyzed household spending in response to this year’s COVID-related fiscal infusion of cash (2020 CARES Act) and found less was spent on durable goods and more on food than during similar stimulus efforts in 2001 and 2008. However, the authors attribute the change in spending to shelter-in-place orders and supply disruptions.  Ethanol and Emissions There is angst in Europe because average automobile CO2 emissions are rising at a time when regulations say they should be d...

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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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