EU Sends Hope for Farm Bill The EU's latest iteration of the Common Agricultural Policy started with a public debate over three years ago. U.S. Congressional hearings for what was to be a 2012 farm bill began in 2011. Europe's Parliament and its Executive have just now reached agreement on the Continent's policy going forward. It is a bit boring, with "nation building" funding for rural development and some distributional equality thrown in, along with more member state flexibility in spending funds. In short, there is something for everyone and, thus, little strategic focus. The U.S. farm bill is not dissimilar. Farmers have repeatedly said that all they care about is crop insurance, but commodity lobbies have ensured that the bill is...
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
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.