Comprehensive, But: The contradiction of new, "high-level" trade agreements across the Pacific and the Atlantic and political realities are beginning to strike. Japan's ruling LDP passed a resolution endorsing entry into Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations but specifically called for maintaining tariff protection on rice, wheat, beef, dairy products and sugar. This is likely to rile key members of the U.S. Congress such as Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Montana), who has fought his whole political career for access to the Japanese beef market and will likely make this a cornerstone issue in his tough reelection fight in 2014.And European Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said a transatlantic trade agreement shoul...
Key Takeaways: Brazil confirmed a Newcastle disease outbreak at a commercial turkey farm in Santa Catarina on 18 October, raising concerns about potential disruptions to poultry exports despite the outbreak being confined to a single facility thus far. Mexico and Malaysia have imposed nationwi...
Yesterday, Alberta held a referendum on whether to begin the process toward independence from Canada. With more than one million votes counted as of early Tuesday morning, around 77 percent supported remaining in Canada, and 23 percent voted to start the process of separation, according to unof...
Mediterranean/Middle East/North Africa/Africa – MEA Region Pakistan’s smaller wheat farmers have been holding protests to complain about the lack of a support price for wheat and the potential expansion of GMO crop production. They also want the reinstatement of PASSCO, the governme...
From WPI Consulting
Accountability and a comprehensive approach to export programming
WPI’s team helped construct a strategic approach to develop, implement, and track promotional activities in 8 key regions across the globe for an agricultural export association. With continued progress measurement and strategic advisory services from WPI, the association has seen its ROI from investments in promotional programming increase by 44 percent over the past 5 years. Not only does this type of holistic approach to organizational strategy provide measurable results to track and analyze, it fosters top-down and bottom-up organizational accountability.