World Perspectives

BRICS Differ; EU Agriculture Policy Update

BRICS Differ In the adjacent article on BRICS Dominate, it is noted how the five key countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) meeting this week in South Africa stand out in terms of global agriculture. However, they are also different from a policy standpoint. Researchers at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland note some other differences about the BRICS countries: They make heavier use of subsidies for local business enterprises. Instead of export bans, they tend to use more opaque measures such as licensing restrictions and export taxes and tax-based export incentives.  On average, they use fewer import tariffs, quotas, and licenses. It is the opaqueness, and autocratic approaches to policy by some major...

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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.

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