World Perspectives

Sustainability Standards Setting; Addressing China

Sustainability Standards Setting There has been concern that addressing climate change and pursuing sustainability becomes a conduit for protectionism. Already, proponents for Africa are asking for recognition of the realities of agriculture on the Continent and requesting policy space. Others warn that compromises come at the expense of rainforests, biodiversity, and the planet. Heading off the potential for new trade barriers requires the pursuit of collaborative standards setting. There have been a multitude of informal efforts such as the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification system that can be used as a base. There are a multitude of metrics that can be used to form a comprehensive approach including: Yield per...

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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.

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