Inequivalent, Protectionist In 2012, the U.S. and EU established an agreement asserting that each other’s organic standards were substantially equivalent. The agreement was reviewed again in 2015 and may require additional review depending on one’s interpretation of “substantial” and equivalent. The EU’s first organic directive occurred in 1991 and was directed at unprocessed commodities. In 1999, animal agriculture was added, and a new directive was introduced in 1999. Now a new directive goes into effect in January 2022 and it has some changes that could undermine the equivalency agreement. The new EU rule claims that producers in third countries must comply with the “same standards” as European...
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.