The business of producing food has never been a piece of cake (apart from growing cress on a damp kitchen towel), particularly for farmers. It’s extraordinarily challenging when tragic wars are bringing upward pressure on the costs and even availability…
Farmers are often grumpy. It’s the unpredictable elements of their business such as tussling with the vagaries of the weather, market prices, awkward customers and regulators, and coping with the peccadillos of their neighbours and wayward countryside visitors. But, right now, they’re angry even…
The USA is a Big Beast in geographic size, population and economic and political clout. Back in 2020, spurred by the Conservative Government’s desire to be seen as a nimble, swashbuckling free trader unencumbered by sclerotic EU bureaucracy, negotiations were…
This week, I’m giving a talk to The Monmouthshire Agricultural Club in Usk – I’m “a local”, living 12 miles down the road in Monmouth. Here’s the gist of what I had to say. Do flick through these few pages…
Global food commodity prices declined by 10% in December 2023 versus a year earlier (FAO) and, in the UK, December’s food price inflation rate fell for the 9th consecutive month to a modest 8%! Phew, consumers can relax … but,…
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has just released its 2024 Global Risks Report for business. They canvass the views of businesses and relevant institutions around the world to come up with their shorter- and longer-term business risk league tables. Not…
Come November, come an outpouring of consumer trends for the upcoming year from the influential market research firms of our world (see end for sources). They’re very welcome but overwhelming and, so, here’s some words which you can read with…
It’s torrid times around the world for many consumers and businesses and, likely, it’ll get worse before it gets better. But, hey, it WILL get better! What’s up? Pundits are quick to advise us that a succession of unprecedented events…
October has been a meat, vegetable and “non-dairy “dairy month for me and Miguel. Mid-month, I was the closing speaker at the UK Cucumber Conference. It’s been a torrid time for fresh produce growers: input costs through the roof; excruciatingly…
The pandemic may have slowed us all down – incarcerated in our homes for months – but it certainly didn’t slow developments in food and drink delivery to consumers. In fact, the reverse, Covid has served to sharply accelerate trends.…
Supermarkets in your pocket. 