International organizations are warning that COVID-19 and the associated economic recession will increase hunger in poorer countries. To quote World Food Program leader David Beasley, there will be “multiple famines of biblical proportions.” Looking at Sub-Saharan Africa, GDP growth may impact the production of basic food crops like rice and maize, but the data hardly shows “biblical proportions - even during the Great Recession. Right now, the countries adversely impacted by rising food costs include Sudan, South Sudan, Zimbabwe and Zambia. However, these countries suffer from the usual causes of hardship: conflict and poor governance. This is not to say there will not be impacts but they should be viewed in contex...
Key Market Insights The broad market is locked in on this week’s Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, but this is no longer just a trade summit. Increasingly, the meeting is becoming tied directly to Iran, energy security, and the growing global economic fallout from disruptions through the Strai...
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.