Back in 1998, WPI’s Carole Brookins first proposed what she called the “Golden Rule” before a WTO ministerial meeting in Geneva. She argued for a prohibition against export restrictions on agricultural products, contending it promoted food insecurity and thus perpetuated import restrictions by countries seeking to solve the problem with self-sufficiency. Now nearly 20 years later, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan and Israel have called for new disciplines to be adopted at December’s WTO ministerial on export prohibitions and restrictions on food products. Their proposal calls for transparency on measures that include advance notification of any restrictions and a maximum duration of any export prohibitions or...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...
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.