Katy Bar the Door Malaysia had filed a WTO dispute settlement case against the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive, arguing it is prejudicil in limiting the amount of imported palm oil that could qualify under the scheme. Brussels has pursued other ways to limit imports of palm oil from Southeast Asia, for example arguing it contributes to deforestation. Yesterday, the WTO panel ruled that Malaysia failed to establish the specifics of any trade obligation violations involving Europe’s Indirect Land Use Calculation (ILUC). This will likely encourage other efforts to restrict imports along the same criteria. Pursuing Food Sovereignty French Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau has put his country’s “food sovereign...
Miscellaneous Initial excitement over China’s pledges to buy American farm products has faded, as no purchases have immediately materialized. USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden said he is confident that China will meet its purchase commitments from the U.S., but market conditions and tra...
In January of this year, the House passed House Resolution 375, which established an E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council and directed the council to investigate the sale of E15, to develop legislative solutions, and to submit those solutions to Congress. E15 legislation was included in a short-te...
EU Sovereignty Ruse For years politicians talked like banty roosters about Europe’s soft power leadership, with American leaders hoping that a strong EU would multiply the U.S. power equation. Then Donald Trump ascended to power and called Europe a Potemkin village, infuriating Brussels t...
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed two new cases of New World Screwworm (NWS). One was in Zavala County, Texas, the site of the first case. That case was found in a one-month-old calf, 5.6 miles from the first incident, and the quarantine effort in...
From WPI Consulting
Infrastructure investment due diligence
On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.