EU Sends Hope for Farm Bill The EU's latest iteration of the Common Agricultural Policy started with a public debate over three years ago. U.S. Congressional hearings for what was to be a 2012 farm bill began in 2011. Europe's Parliament and its Executive have just now reached agreement on the Continent's policy going forward. It is a bit boring, with "nation building" funding for rural development and some distributional equality thrown in, along with more member state flexibility in spending funds. In short, there is something for everyone and, thus, little strategic focus. The U.S. farm bill is not dissimilar. Farmers have repeatedly said that all they care about is crop insurance, but commodity lobbies have ensured that the bill is...
As predicted, the Federal Reserve held rates steady at the last meeting before the midterm elections, likely in part because of the election (see WPI 19 October and 22 September). The decision comes at the tail end of a midterm election cycle that has been marked by the two parties campaigning...
Key Takeaways: The tariff burden rose sharply in 2025 and 2026: the effective rate on imports in HTS Chapters 1–24 increased from 1.53 percent in 2024 to 6.11 percent in 2025, before averaging 5.68 percent in January–August 2026. Headline rates tell only part of the story: exemptio...
Markets are getting into the Halloween spirit, handing out more tricks than treats. There has been some encouraging news, but it hasn’t been enough to slow the broader slide. Now buyers need to show up with something other than another “Charlie Brown” rock for the bag. Somethi...
From WPI Consulting
Infrastructure investment due diligence
On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.