World Perspectives

China’s Dinner Demographics

China’s food security concerns and import needs will shift in the years ahead regardless of the outcome of the trade war with the U.S.  Demographics are destiny and, according to the OECD, China’s decades-long low birth rate means that its population begins to decline starting in 2027. More important from a food balance sheet perspective is how the shifting demographics will affect food consumption. As the average age of the Chinese population shifted upward toward working age in recent decades, the number of calories consumed increased. China’s work force has been active, either on the farm or in factories, again raising the volume of calories consumed. The population has also been skewed heavier male, currently a...

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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.

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