On 16 January, we reported that the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee would be marking up the Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency (PROVE IT) Act. The committee passed that bill, which directs the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to compare the emissions intensity of specific goods and commodities in the U.S. to those same goods in other countries, including biofuels, fertilizer, natural gas, crude oil and refined products, so that a U.S. carbon tariff can be imposed. This is in line with the Biden Administration’s consideration of such a tariff in 2021, and their agenda to introduce environmental standards into trade policy, which has brought new trade agreement nego...
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) enters its mandated six-year review on 1 July. The original intent of the review is outlined in Article 34.7, which obligates members to: Provide recommendations and decide on appropriate actions. Extend the USMCA for another 16 years and meet aga...
Key Market Insights Geopolitical Limbo: Geopolitical risk remained a key driver across global commodity markets today. President Trump stated that the Iran memorandum of understanding is not yet final and warned that military action could resume if negotiations fail. Both sides continue w...
Key Takeaways: Drought remains a major threat to global agricultural production, particularly in regions with limited rainfall and growing water scarcity. Commercially available drought-tolerant traits in corn, soybeans, and wheat have generally delivered modest yield improvements, limiting th...
From WPI Consulting
Forecasting developments in production agriculture
On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.