Blockchain Food A few years ago, major food system originators and processors began experimenting with blockchain under a system called Food Trust. Now the U.S. Food & Drug Administration is drafting a traceability requirement under the Food Safety Modernization Act that will encourage the scaled use of the system. While it will not be a requirement, the goal of delivering safe, identity preserved food products will be enhanced by the system. Smaller entities and importers outside of the system may be initially disadvantaged but eventually system costs will decline, and the overall food system will be enhanced. Geopolitical Damage At this week’s UN Security Council debate between the U.S. and its allies against Russia and...
What You Need to Know Today: Commodities were mostly lower across the board today after yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting hinted at a potential interest rate hike later in 2026. The dollar index reached its highest level in over a year, and a strong dollar makes U.S. agricultural expor...
Tomorrow is the Juneteenth federal holiday, and the USDA, along with the rest of the federal government and the CME, will be closed, so the monthly Cattle on Feed report was released a day early. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity on 1 June amounted...
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.