World Perspectives

What is a Recession and Why Does it Matter if We’re in One?

The news and political talk shows have been abuzz about whether the economy is in a recession, moreover, it has become political, with some Republican politicians and conservative commentators, almost giddy that the GDP contracted two quarters in a row, and some Democrat politicians and liberal commentators arguing that the economy is not in a recession – necessarily now. First, the two quarters of negative GDP is a rule of thumb; when it happens there is almost always a recession. But it is not, as we’ve heard on TV, the “technical” definition of a recession. In 2001, there were three consecutive quarters of negative GDP before the recession was declared. The actual technical definition is maintained by the Bureau...

Related Articles
feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.555/bushel, up $0.0125 from yesterday's close.  Jul 26 Wheat closed at $6.2025/bushel, up $0.1325 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.5975/bushel, down $0.0475 from yesterday's close.  Jul 26 Soymeal closed at $316.5/short ton, up $0.2...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: War Sustains Wheat; Corn Up Fifth Day

The Middle East truce is a rough one and the uncertainty spiked oil prices and the dollar again for another day. The wheat market has droughty conditions in the U.S., but globally there is pressure on a crop that gets both its fertilizer and a chunk of its demand from this volatile region. ...

livestock

Rotisserie Chicken Proposed to be Allowed Under SNAP

Senators Jim Justice (D-West Virginia), John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), and Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) introduced the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act, which would allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to purchase hot rotisserie...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.555/bushel, up $0.0125 from yesterday's close.  Jul 26 Wheat closed at $6.2025/bushel, up $0.1325 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.5975/bushel, down $0.0475 from yesterday's close.  Jul 26 Soymeal closed at $316.5/short ton, up $0.2...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: War Sustains Wheat; Corn Up Fifth Day

The Middle East truce is a rough one and the uncertainty spiked oil prices and the dollar again for another day. The wheat market has droughty conditions in the U.S., but globally there is pressure on a crop that gets both its fertilizer and a chunk of its demand from this volatile region. ...

livestock

Rotisserie Chicken Proposed to be Allowed Under SNAP

Senators Jim Justice (D-West Virginia), John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), and Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) introduced the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act, which would allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to purchase hot rotisserie...

livestock

Early 2026 Projections of Cow-Calf Finances

Key Takeaways: Despite rising cost pressures — including the recent run-up in fuel and energy costs — U.S. cow-calf producers are facing another year of record-breaking revenues and net returns for 2026. Cost pressures — particularly non-feed variable costs — and drough...

Image
From WPI Consulting

Illuminating the value of technical research

On behalf of a commodity producer organization, WPI evaluated the outputs from a project that featured a $5 million investment into technical research over multiple years. WPI’s team captured the results of this extensive effort and synthesized them for presentation to the organization’s governing board; among the findings uncovered and presented for the first time was the development of genomic traits proven, via rigorous testing, to provide crop yield advantages of 50 percent or more to U.S. farmers in times of drought. Capturing measurable results from long-term efforts can be challenging. Educating clients on the dynamics of success measurement when quantifiable results are not readily available requires deep client-consultant collaboration and an ability to consider both near- and long-term client aspirations with market/policy dynamics – attributes that WPI brings to every consulting engagement.

Search World Perspectives

Sign In to World Perspectives

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up