Broken Organic Window The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has frequently proven its ignorance of both science and economics. Once again, it was economics that was distorted. Just as the Organic Trade Association took credit some weeks ago for organic agriculture creating more jobs than conventional agriculture, the UCS concluded that organic dairy farms in Vermont and Minnesota had higher revenues than if the same dairy products had been conventional. According to UCS, "organic operations would provide more value to the economy"; however, the group is ignoring the loss of welfare by consumers paying the higher prices with no proven gain in welfare. In effect, they ignore the broken window parable by Frederic Bastiat. Counting Chicke...
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.