Bye-Bye Science The European Parliament routinely votes against GMOs, and it did so again this week against three pending soybean events. Members complained about everything from failure to follow the precautionary principle to declaring the European Food Safety Authority as a noncompetent body. To further polish their anti-ag tech credentials, they voted to phase out glyphosate. Much of this is nonbinding, but it is nonetheless influential. It is now expected that the glyphosate approval vote tomorrow will be for much less than the ten years proposed by the Commission, and GMO approvals will become more difficult after Brexit. Meanwhile, Dow intends to start selling its Enlist 3 GM soybean in the U.S. despite the lack of approval in Euro...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...
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.