Cotton Terrorism Domestic agricultural subsidies distort markets and thus cause a multitude of harms. However, none seems worse than the overproduction of cotton in rich countries that adversely impacts farmers in the “cotton-four” West African countries. Nonetheless, they are part of a much larger and more complex array of distorting policies and practices that defy a cherry-picking approach to reform. It also doesn’t help to exaggerate their impact. Speaking on behalf of the cotton-four, Mali Prime Minister Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga charged that rich country cotton subsidies are “promoting the growth of extremists.” Cotton is not the source of religious intolerance in Muslim West Africa. Cultural Shippi...
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...
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.