Green for You, Grey for Me Some say the EU has been vague about whether it will seek a delay in the December 30 implementation deadline for implementing the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Brussels told WTO members last week that delay would require a legislative change, which is not impossible. At the same time, the European Court of Auditors has concluded that the national strategic plans required for each member state to implement the environmental goals laid out by Brussels lack effective oversight and measurement mechanisms. This means the goals of reducing chemical inputs and boosting organic output could be glossed over. So, the EU would impose a hard stop green policy on other countries, but allow its own producers to operate m...
Key Takeaways: The U.S. sheep industry is contracting. Lamb output and producer participation have declined sharply. Imports now account for most U.S. lamb consumption. Their roughly 70 percent share raises concerns about domestic capacity and resilience. USTR’s referral carries substant...
Yesterday, the USDA released its monthly World Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE), forecasting tighter beef and pork supplies and growing broiler supplies, resulting in a tighter red meat supply. Broiler production, however, continues to grow and is forecast to be up more than 3 percent. Beef...
Illuminating the value of technical research
On behalf of a commodity producer organization, WPI evaluated the outputs from a project that featured a $5 million investment into technical research over multiple years. WPI’s team captured the results of this extensive effort and synthesized them for presentation to the organization’s governing board; among the findings uncovered and presented for the first time was the development of genomic traits proven, via rigorous testing, to provide crop yield advantages of 50 percent or more to U.S. farmers in times of drought. Capturing measurable results from long-term efforts can be challenging. Educating clients on the dynamics of success measurement when quantifiable results are not readily available requires deep client-consultant collaboration and an ability to consider both near- and long-term client aspirations with market/policy dynamics – attributes that WPI brings to every consulting engagement.