Peru

Economics

Politics

Environment, Science & Technology

Peru's Minister of Agrarian Development and Irrigation Javier Arce Alvarado announced his resignation after just two weeks in the role due to a lack of tax disclosure on his forms and was replaced by Andres Alencastre, an economist, Gestion reported June 6.

Peru: Agricultural Minister Resigns Amid Fertilizer Crisis

Agriculture

Chad

The Suitors of Sub-Saharan Africa

Chad's interim government declared a "food emergency" on June 2, Voice of America reported June 3.

Chad: Country Declares Food Emergency as Much of Africa Enters 'Lean' Agricultural Season

Afghanistan

Military & Security

The Taliban has started more strictly enforcing its April ban on opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and claims to be discussing alternative crops with other countries, AP reported June 2.

Afghanistan: Taliban Begins Stricter Enforcement of Opium Poppy Ban

Security

Indonesia

Indonesia announced that it will audit all palm oil companies operating in the country and require them to move their headquarters onshore, The Straits Times reported May 25.

Indonesia: Government Demands Palm Oil Companies Move Headquarters Onshore

Laos

Energy

Gasoline prices in Laos are causing fuel shortages and inhibiting work commutes and agricultural processes like plowing, Radio Free Asia reported May 23.

Laos: Fuel Shortage Threatens Regional Labor Flows, Domestic Food Security

Canada

China

Canada's industry minister announced a ban on Huawei and ZTE products in Canada's 5G networks, citing threats to national security, and said companies that use Huawei or ZTE products will have until 2027 to replace them, Bloomberg reported May 19.

China: Ottawa Bans Huawei, ZTE as China Eases Restrictions on Canadian Canola Oil

On May 19, the Peruvian government authorized the direct purchase of nitrogenous fertilizers from across the world in an effort to alleviate a domestic fertilizer shortage, but the amount purchased will only be enough to cover roughly a fourth of all hectares that utilize fertilizers, La Republica reported May 20.

Peru: Fertilizer Shortage May Lead to Food Crisis

Supply Chains

Hundreds of small-scale farmers in Indonesia protested the country's palm oil export ban outside the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs in Jakarta and other government offices across the country, Reuters reported May 17.

Indonesia: Small-Scale Farmers Stage Protests Against Palm Oil Ban

Cattle, cotton, corn — anything humans need to survive and thrive is inherently geopolitical. Fluctuations in crop harvests, for example, can help or harm broader trade relations among states, some of which lack the resources to be agriculturally independent. As resources become scarcer, though, these governments will have to use better, more sophisticated tools, techniques and technologies to provide for their people. Global food production, and therefore global food security, will depend on governments’ ability to do more with less.

As resources become scarcer, governments will have to use better, more sophisticated tools, techniques and technologies to provide for their people.

Brazil

United States

Germany

Russia

India

Environmental Issues

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

Globalization

The 4th Industrial Revolution

Snapshots

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) shakes hands with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro during a joint press conference after holding a meeting in Moscow on Feb. 16, 2022. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

While it may condemn Western efforts to financially alienate Russia, Brasilia is unlikely to help Moscow build an alternative global payments system.

Brazil's Dependence on the U.S. Dollar Will Limit Its Ability to Ease Russia's Isolation

South America: Split Decisions on Trade

Sub-Saharan Africa

Low water levels are seen at the main river in Baidoa, Somalia, on Feb. 13, 2022, amid a historic drought in the region.

The economic fallout from the Russia-Ukraine war is leaving more people hungry in a region already facing major droughts, political unrest and armed insurgencies.

Food Shortages Risk Destabilizing Sub-Saharan Africa's Fragile Governments

Farmers in India celebrate on Nov. 19, 2021, after the government announced it was repealing the controversial agricultural reforms that sparked nearly a year of protests in the country.

India's Own Worst Enemy

The move is likely aimed at shoring up support among farmers ahead of key state elections. But without the reforms, India’s agriculture sector will continue to deteriorate. 

After a Year of Protests, India’s Modi Finally Nixes His Farm Laws

Media

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

Forecast Webcast

Join our analysts for this webcast recording exploring key topics identified in the 2021 Fourth-Quarter Worldview Forecast.

2021 Fourth-Quarter Forecast Webcast

Cyber

COVID-19

U.S.-Iran Relations

U.S.-China Relations

Vietnam

France

Iran

Quarterly

Forecasts

The fourth quarter will see countries with low vaccination rates explore options to "live with COVID" rather than continue severe lockdowns in order to enable economic recovery.

2021 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

Assessments

Afghan women shop at a market area in Kabul on Aug. 23, 2021, following the Taliban's takeover of the country.

South Asian Militancy

The Taliban takeover will exacerbate the war-torn country's pre-existing financial challenges, while COVID-19 and a severe drought create new ones. 

Under the Taliban, Afghanistan’s Economic Outlook Goes From Bad to Worse

The third quarter will see a continuation of the global two-speed recovery according to countries' access to vaccines and the success of their vaccination campaigns. 

2021 Third-Quarter Forecast

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at a campaign rally for his Bharatiya Janata Party in Kolkata, West Bengal, on March 7, 2021. 

A strong performance in the upcoming state ballots, especially in Assam and West Bengal, would improve Modi’s ability to implement his party’s nationalist agenda at the local level. 

Elections Outside India’s Hindi Heartland Will Test the BJP’s Reach

Australia

Workers load containers on a cargo ship at Port Botany in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 2, 2020. 

China in Transition

Asia-Pacific: Among Great Powers

An uptick in Australian exports indicates that Beijing is prioritizing its domestic interests over its foreign policy goals. 

Despite Rising Tensions, Australia-China Trade Remains Robust 

Farmers depart on their tractors to New Delhi to participate in ongoing protests against the Indian government's new agricultural reforms in Amritsar, India, on Jan. 12, 2021. 

Even after hearing farmers’ grievances, the new mediation committee is unlikely to propose sweeping changes to Modi’s agricultural reforms, raising the risk for more protests.

In India, Court-Ordered Mediation Won’t Appease Angry Farmers

United Kingdom

Then-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden participates in a bilateral meeting at the European Council headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Feb. 6, 2015.

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

The U.S. president-elect will seek deepened trade and defense ties with European countries, along with increased cooperation on combatting climate change and China’s rise.

What a Biden Presidency Means for Europe-U.S. Relations

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

Brexit

A pile of briquettes, which are compressed blocks of coal dust, is seen in Melbourne, Australia, in March 2017. 

Reports that Beijing has halted purchases of Australian coal suggest it’s still trying to find ways to retaliate against Canberra’s policies without jeopardizing the two countries’ economic ties.

With an Apparent Coal Ban, China Ups the Cost of Australia’s Political Defiance 

Agriculture

SITUATION REPORTS

Peru: Agricultural Minister Resigns Amid Fertilizer Crisis

Chad: Country Declares Food Emergency as Much of Africa Enters 'Lean' Agricultural Season

Afghanistan: Taliban Begins Stricter Enforcement of Opium Poppy Ban

Indonesia: Government Demands Palm Oil Companies Move Headquarters Onshore

Laos: Fuel Shortage Threatens Regional Labor Flows, Domestic Food Security

China: Ottawa Bans Huawei, ZTE as China Eases Restrictions on Canadian Canola Oil

Peru: Fertilizer Shortage May Lead to Food Crisis

Indonesia: Small-Scale Farmers Stage Protests Against Palm Oil Ban

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