Most reviews of the year 2023 characterize the period as tumultuous, largely due to the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, coups in Africa driven by gold mining, plus western tensions with China. Now the outlook for 2024 is being framed as scarier still. The wars and tensions continue but adding to the mayhem will be elections in major democracies such as the U.S., EU and India. Analysis by AgriCensus attributed the 29 percent ($16 billion) decline in commodity trading in 2023 to geopolitical tensions plus weather (El Niño), or what they described as climate change. Could increased geopolitical risks and the threat of a Second Cold War mean even worse commodity declines for 2024? Researchers from USC and Linköping University...
What You Need to Know Today: Crude oil prices extended their rally today, supported by several developments, including escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure and growing concerns about supply disruptions. The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to remove 50 perc...
Regional News Dry weather across the UK and Europe is becoming increasingly concerning for the 2027 crops as planting intentions are lowered amid dry soil conditions. Delayed sowing or establishment under adverse conditions could leave crops more vulnerable to frost/freeze events and dise...
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.