U.S. trade negotiators should view the EU's demand for recognition of its system of protected designations of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indications (PGI) as an opportunity. Diverging Transatlantic Organic While Brussels is taking steps to strengthen the rules governing Europe's organic food producers, such as limiting the ability of member states to grant exemptions to the rules, the U.S. is relaxing its organic requirements. At the request of the California Certified Organic Farmers, USDA is allowing organic meat and dairy to be produced using half the grass-feeding period previously required. Additionally, while USDA sets pesticide requirements for organics based on the recommendations of a non-scientific committee of...
What You Need to Know Today: U.S. weather is getting more attention this week as conditions vary greatly across the western, central, and eastern corn belts, with the different regions battling dryness and too much rain simultaneously. The ProFarmer Crop Tour began today in Indiana and Nebrask...
Unlike the 2022 fertilizer shock, today’s disruption is rooted less in rerouted trade flows and more in damaged production capacity, raw material constraints and uncertain recovery timelines. That makes this a longer-duration risk for U.S. agricultural producers and retailers who must sec...
From WPI Consulting
Infrastructure investment due diligence
On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.