Slow Movement Moves The "Slow Food" movement was begun as a protest to the building of a McDonald's restaurant in Spain. It was followed by the "Slow Money" movement, in opposition to high finance and big business. And now there is the holistic approach called "Slow Living," which celebrates the small and local principle each year at a Summit in Brattleboro, Vermont. Brattleboro is of course a certified "Fairtrade Town." Lacking any sense of irony, the Summit celebrated the fact that attendees traveled from hundreds of miles away to learn how to "form better business connections within their communities." Sponsors of the Summit included Crop Organic Vodka and Farmers Organic Gin, whose products' main ingredient may harm or kill tens of t...
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.
Key Takeaways: President Trump announced $8 billion in additional agricultural assistance through the Harvest Fuel Relief Program, as USDA projects farm fuel and oil expenses will increase 28.8 percent in 2026. The package follows $12 billion in earlier relief, while government farm payments w...
Key Takeaways: A student group from the University of Chicago is protesting to bring back onion futures trading. Trading in onion futures was banned in 1958 following a spectacular bout of market manipulation that resulted in a corner of the physical market. The ban on onion futures led t...
Beef packer margins deteriorated to $141/head last week, down $55 from the prior week as fed cattle prices strengthened while the Choice cutout remained nearly unchanged. The cutout held near $373/cwt while fed cattle prices climbed $4/cwt to $224/cwt, narrowing processor profits. Despite the d...