The Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance Partnership (LEAP) claims that pro-environment “ecolabels” are more appealing to shoppers. Meanwhile, Compassion in World Farming says consumers are willing to pay more for animal products with grown humanely labeling. Dispassionate researchers note a wide gap between an espoused willingness to pay more, and the actual voluntary up-payment for tertiary benefits. This reluctance to pay is evidenced by the fact that the organic foods section is a small subset within larger conventional food retail outlets in the U.S. Whole Foods Market focuses specifically on the organic/natural foods shopper and while it has grown fast, it has begun to stall at about 2 percent of total U.S...
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.
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...