World Perspectives

What Could Go Wrong?

The unclassified portion of the U.S. National Intelligence Council’s latest “Global Trends” report is pollyannish next to what wargamers are theorizing. The report categorizes risks into four categories: demographics, the environment, economics, and technology. On agriculture, it cites the sector for both contributing to global warming and being vulnerable to it, especially in terms of water. As if Donald Trump were still president, it predicts more “activist” trade policy and fragmentation over the next 20 years. Perhaps to the chagrin of Luddite activists, it says that biotechnology will contribute up to 20 percent of economic activity by 2040, addressing disease, hunger, and energy needs.  Yet the most...

Related Articles
feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Black Sea Regional Analysis

Russian Grain Markets: 4 – 8 August 2025 The speed of the harvesting campaign was the key price driver. Improved harvesting pace in the Centre and Black Soil regions made most of the grain prices plummet except for the best milling quality wheat. This is understandable as excessive rains...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: King Corn Flexes Dominance; Soybeans Rise on Acreage Data; Cattle Surge

The August WASDE is almost always a market-moving event for at least one commodity, and Tuesday’s report was no different. Tuesday’s trade started off with some trepidation after China increased the import duty on Canadian rapeseed to 75.8 percent, which caused canola futures to cra...

Consumption Taxes; Food Costs and Adaptation

Consumption Taxes This analyst erroneously implied that value added taxes are cumulative through the supply chain when in fact any VAT paid on an input is deductible, thus ensuring it is the final customer paying the tax. The VAT is an important discussion point because the Trump Administration...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Black Sea Regional Analysis

Russian Grain Markets: 4 – 8 August 2025 The speed of the harvesting campaign was the key price driver. Improved harvesting pace in the Centre and Black Soil regions made most of the grain prices plummet except for the best milling quality wheat. This is understandable as excessive rains...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: King Corn Flexes Dominance; Soybeans Rise on Acreage Data; Cattle Surge

The August WASDE is almost always a market-moving event for at least one commodity, and Tuesday’s report was no different. Tuesday’s trade started off with some trepidation after China increased the import duty on Canadian rapeseed to 75.8 percent, which caused canola futures to cra...

Consumption Taxes; Food Costs and Adaptation

Consumption Taxes This analyst erroneously implied that value added taxes are cumulative through the supply chain when in fact any VAT paid on an input is deductible, thus ensuring it is the final customer paying the tax. The VAT is an important discussion point because the Trump Administration...

soy-oilseeds

WASDE Soybeans - August 2025

USDA reduced their estimate for U.S. soybean production for 2025/26 to 4.3 billion bushels, down 43 million. U.S. ending stocks are forecast at 290 million bushels, down 20 million from last month. The U.S. seasonal average farm price for soybean is unchanged at $10.10 per bushel. The soybean m...

Image
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.

Search World Perspectives

Sign In to World Perspectives

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up