{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"The Geopolitical Power of Agriculture","description":"On March 30, the Economic Club of Minnesota hosted \u201cThe Geopolitical Power of Agriculture,\u201d bringing together CHS President & CEO Jay Debertin and CoBank CEO Tom Halverson for a candid conversation about the pressures facing American farmers. The verdict was sobering: row crop producers, particularly soybean and corn growers here in the Midwest, are caught in a perfect storm of depressed commodity prices, trade-driven uncertainty, and surging competition from Brazil. As the Minnesota Star Tribune reported, Halverson noted that the Midwest is the \u201cepicenter\u201d of struggles for row crops, while farmers raising livestock are faring comparatively well.  Adding urgency to the discussion was the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which both leaders warned could structurally reshape global ag markets. \u201cThere\u2019s not a producer in agriculture around the world that won\u2019t be impacted,\u201d Debertin said of the continuing conflict.  Halverson cautioned that any short-term price bump from the disruption shouldn\u2019t be mistaken for stability, and that reopening key shipping routes won\u2019t happen overnight. Still, both leaders remained measured in their outlook. \u201cWe\u2019ve had low commodity prices before. We\u2019ve had high commodity prices before. Those are the cycles of agriculture,\u201d Debertin said \u2014 a reminder that while the headwinds are real, Minnesota\u2019s farmers and agribusinesses have weathered hard seasons before. ","author_name":"Economic Club of Minnesota","author_url":"https:\/\/ecomn.org\/","html":"