World Perspectives
feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Politics, Supply and Demand

Whenever crop prices fall uncomfortably low, there are always those who argue that the U.S. government should return to some sort of supply management program.To state the obvious, food is essential to human well-being. Since food is so crucial, it is also inevitably political. Because essential food is derived from multiple kinds of agricultural production, politics and agriculture are unavoidably and inseparably intertwined. The subjects of food and agriculture are broad and diverse, and the politics of food and agriculture are equally so.The history of the relationship between agriculture and politics is as old as recorded history itself. In the U.S., it goes back to earliest colonial times. The "modern history" of U.S. food and politics...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

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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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