There is easy agreement that COVID-19 was the worst thing about 2020, and it hopefully goes away soon. But many of the other topics we discussed and analyzed throughout 2020 are likely to mature in the year ahead. China, China, China It will remain the 800-pound gorilla in the room. Not only because of its economic weight but because it forces the neoliberal democracies to question their own orthodoxies. Partner or strategic rival? Is the future going to be capitalism, state-led development, or some combination of the two? Does emphasizing moral values only matter against poorer countries (e.g. tying trade to Brazil’s management of rainforests but holding China harmless for its human rights abuses)? Will it be managed trade or...
What You Need to Know Today: Commodities were mostly lower across the board today after yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting hinted at a potential interest rate hike later in 2026. The dollar index reached its highest level in over a year, and a strong dollar makes U.S. agricultural expor...
Tomorrow is the Juneteenth federal holiday, and the USDA, along with the rest of the federal government and the CME, will be closed, so the monthly Cattle on Feed report was released a day early. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity on 1 June amounted...
From WPI Consulting
Accountability and a comprehensive approach to export programming
WPI’s team helped construct a strategic approach to develop, implement, and track promotional activities in 8 key regions across the globe for an agricultural export association. With continued progress measurement and strategic advisory services from WPI, the association has seen its ROI from investments in promotional programming increase by 44 percent over the past 5 years. Not only does this type of holistic approach to organizational strategy provide measurable results to track and analyze, it fosters top-down and bottom-up organizational accountability.