World Perspectives

ICE and N-P-K

Second thoughts in policymaking are usually better than no thought at all. If it is meant to be, it will. Almost two years ago European politicians agreed to end the selling of automobiles with internal combustion engines (ICE), and to slash the use of fertilizer (N-P-K) and pesticides in crop production. Now a few but powerful member states are having second thoughts about the ICE ban. No doubt it is tied to the number of workers employed in the industry. But if the ICE ban falls on concerns about jobs, doesn’t that mean making large reductions in fertilizer and pesticide use are at risk on food security rounds? After all, there has already been a proposed revision to previous limits on the number of livestock units...

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Illuminating the value of technical research

On behalf of a commodity producer organization, WPI evaluated the outputs from a project that featured a $5 million investment into technical research over multiple years. WPI’s team captured the results of this extensive effort and synthesized them for presentation to the organization’s governing board; among the findings uncovered and presented for the first time was the development of genomic traits proven, via rigorous testing, to provide crop yield advantages of 50 percent or more to U.S. farmers in times of drought. Capturing measurable results from long-term efforts can be challenging. Educating clients on the dynamics of success measurement when quantifiable results are not readily available requires deep client-consultant collaboration and an ability to consider both near- and long-term client aspirations with market/policy dynamics – attributes that WPI brings to every consulting engagement.

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