Key Takeaways:
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 set a goal of producing 16 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol annually by 2022, but actual production reached only a small fraction of that target. High production costs, feedstock collection challenges, and technological hurdles prevented cellulosic ethanol from becoming commercially competitive at scale. Falling oil prices following the U.S. shale boom reduced the economic incentive for investors to fund expensive cellulosic ethanol projects. The bankruptcies and failures of major companies such as Range Fuels, KiOR, and Abengoa undermined confidence in the industry's commercial viability and caused investment to shift toward other renewable fuel technologies. Brazil's Ra...
What You Need to Know Today: U.S. and Chinese officials are expected to discuss agriculture and non-tariff trade barriers ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington later this month, potentially opening the door to additional U.S. agricultural purchases or improved marke...
The U.S. will observe Labor Day on Monday, 7 September. U.S. markets and the WPI office will be closed that day. The next edition of Ag Perspectives will be published Tuesday, 8 September...
Key Takeaways: Drought and changes to the multi-year trend in cow slaughter and retention have the potential to dramatically alter beef trim supplies and pricing, and WPI specifically models three different drought scenarios for fall 2026. Based on our models, WPI expects 90 percent lean...