A Roadmap to Better Decision Making

Brazil continues to build out its infrastructure to accommodate the country's massive grain trade with a particular focus on maximizing their share of China's equally massive import market. The key to this plan is one that seems very simple on paper - more paved roadways connecting to the country's northern ports. Turning that plan into reality has been a decades-long ...
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Corn is one of the most heated political debates in Mexico, home of the ancient grain that has become the king of grain in the U.S. Corn in America became the country's most prolific crop thanks largely to farmers embracing genetically modified (GM) varieties that deliver far better yields. By contrast, Mexican farmers have struggled to gain access to GM ...
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Corn Board Manufacturing has ambitious plans to buy as much as 50 million pounds of corn stover from farmers every year which the Texas-based company will use to make eco-friendly shipping pallets. The company claims its CornBoard is lighter and performs just as well, if not better than traditional wood pallets and they plan to make them at a new ...
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Today, the global supply of fertilizer is fueled by coal and natural gas and travels through a complex supply chain to farms around the world. Fertilizer distribution is an expensive process involving substantial storage and transportation infrastructure that stretches over thousands of miles. As a result, fertilizer costs can become inflated and farmers are often forced to make decisions based ...
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Leading global research firm Gartner recently released an interesting report outlining the most significant trends they see shaping business and industry in the near future. "Top 10 Strategic Predictions for 2021 and Beyond" was presented by Distinguished VP Analyst Daryl Plummer at this year's virtual Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo® 2020. The presentation takes the view that the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted businesses ...
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In 2009, building a new solar farm was +223% more expensive than building a new coal plant. Now, it’s flipped! The world is now looking for ways to curb what they believe is a "climate crisis". You can agree or disagree, but that is ultimately irrelevant. As I wrote yesterday, my new favorite quote is, "the world is guided and ...
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Kevin Van Trump and Andy Daniels host a roundtable discussion with their sons Jordan Van Trump and Drew Daniels. Both Jordan and Drew trade and invest, so the topics of conversation are very interesting and offer differing perspectives. The discussion starts with current thoughts on the ag markets and how the group plans to play their hand into 2021. The topics ...
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France is looking to dramatically overhaul its agriculture sector with a $120 million investment aimed at boosting the country's protein crop production. The EU's largest crop grower says the objective is to gain more control over its food supply and cut its heavy reliance on soybean imports. The plan would double total protein crop area within 10 years, reducing France's ...
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Pigs are the newest species of genetically engineered animals to win U.S. approval for food use, potentially helping people with meat allergies. The "GalSafe" pigs were also given the green light by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be used for medical purposes, such as the production of drugs or even organ transplants. The approval comes five years after ...
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Aquaculture is the fastest-growing food production sector in the world, increasing more than 6% annually since 2010 according to the UN, and by 2030 the world will be eating +20% more fish than we did in 2016. Not only will the industry need to scale up to meet this demand, but they will also need to become more transparent in ...
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