Regulation RuseFarmers in Europe oppose the recently completed free trade agreement with Mercosur, and have long prevented a transatlantic agreement with the U.S. They argue that their competitors in the Americas produce under less stringent environmental and labor standards. That may be true but that is not the primary cause of their struggles with competitiveness. The problem is that the fundamentals of production agriculture in Europe are much higher. The average cost of farmland in France is 50 percent higher than in the U.S. There is a large differential in energy costs, a critical component in farming (chemicals, fertilizer, fuel, lube, electricity) and Europe has by design made it costlier. Europe’s farmers cannot use the latest...
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From WPI Consulting
Weighing in on strategic realignment
WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.