Food commodities are rising in price and that includes coffee, but the coffee bean market is also changing. Out of 100 species of coffee, just two dominate: Arabica and Robusta. And of those two, Arabica has been the bean to beat. Because of a higher lipid and sugar level, it is considered sweeter and smoother than its Robusta cousin. It is also more expensive because the higher demand runs into harder to grow. Robusta is more bitter in taste due to higher caffeine (2.7 percent versus 1.5 percent for Arabica), which along with a higher content of chlorogenic acid helps to deter pests and helps boost yield. Adverse weather has led to smaller, more erratic Arabica crops, plunging stocks to their lowest level since February 2000. The pr...
What You Need to Know Today: Commodities were mostly lower across the board today after yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting hinted at a potential interest rate hike later in 2026. The dollar index reached its highest level in over a year, and a strong dollar makes U.S. agricultural expor...
Tomorrow is the Juneteenth federal holiday, and the USDA, along with the rest of the federal government and the CME, will be closed, so the monthly Cattle on Feed report was released a day early. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity on 1 June amounted...
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.