World Trade Council of Wichita

"You may not care about geopolitics, but geopolitics cares about you." — Ken McCallum, Director General, MI5 Source: Govini https://lnkd.in/gMsndiZu

Global food prices have experienced significant volatility in recent years, reaching unprecedented highs in 2022, dipping in 2023, and gradually increasing again in 2024. This turbulence is driven by a combination of #extremeweather events, geopolitical conflicts, soaring input costs, and heightened demand. To illustrate how #climatechange is impacting food production and prices, Carbon Brief has produced five key charts focusing on different regions and their challenges: 1️⃣ Europe: Extreme heatwaves in 2022 led to record food inflation, with rates soaring up to 19%. Future warming could amplify this inflation by 30-50% by 2035, exacerbating an already volatile market. 2️⃣ United Kingdom: Unprecedented rainfall from late 2022 to 2024 has severely disrupted crop planting, causing significant drops in vegetable production and devastating staple crops like wheat and barley. 3️⃣ United States: Orange production has plummeted due to hurricanes and disease, pushing orange juice prices to nearly double in just four years. Florida's output was particularly hard-hit by Hurricane Ian, which devastated 90% of the state's citrus belt. 4️⃣ Mediterranean: Drought and extreme heat have slashed global olive oil production by a third since 2021, driving prices to soar across Europe. Spain, the world’s largest producer, has been especially affected, with some regions seeing a 70% price increase in just one year. 5️⃣ China: Extreme weather events have drastically reduced rice yields by 8% between 1999 and 2012, with ongoing climate challenges threatening further declines. The cost of essential fruits and vegetables has surged, hitting consumers hard in 2024. As climate change continues to disrupt agriculture, the need for immediate action on #greenhousegasemissions and agricultural adaptation has never been more urgent. Check what the World Meteorological Organization is doing to support climate smart agriculture https://lnkd.in/efQPtEPV Read the Carbon Brief article here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eC_pGxFM

Interesting article on the environmental effects and risks associated with natural-resource consumption - including a nice quote to some work that I started when I worked at West Virginia University - go Mountaineers :-).

Our internships are often niche, offering interns highly specialized experience. For Linh Lai, a recent Wichita State University graduate with a degree in finance and business analytics, it’s turned into a full-time position at INTRUST. “My internship has been incredibly rewarding, and I am so thankful to have been offered an opportunity to continue as a business improvement specialist,” she says. “Accepting this offer was an easy decision for me because of how much I’ve enjoyed my team and this internship.” Linh credits her mentor, Greg Trechak, business and systems process improvement supervisor, for having a positive and inspirational impact on her internship. She was able to shadow and contribute to several projects this summer, strengthening her understanding of banking and loan processes. One of her favorite experiences was working on the integration of several data systems. “The experience and knowledge I gained from working on projects with my team set a great foundation,” she says. Congratulations, Linh. We’re excited to see what the future holds for you at INTRUST!

Reporters from local, regional, and Japanese media outlets, along with some of the state lawmakers recently toured what will soon be the world's largest battery manufacturing plant in the world. 🔋 ⚡ 🌻 "Panasonic Energy’s top executive declared Thursday that its new 4.7 million-square-foot plant now under construction in De Soto “will be the largest battery manufacturing plant in the world.” Add that to the fact that the value of electricity generated by Kansas wind turbines rivals if not exceeds that of its wheat crop and you will understand why some are beginning to see the state as America’s emerging Saudi Arabia of clean energy. The facility, which will open in the first quarter of 2025, is gargantuan. It would fill the sprawling Kansas Speedway and swallow the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty. Allan Swan, president of Panasonic Energy of North America, on Thursday said: “The technology we are bringing to Kansas … is the topflight technology in the world.” https://lnkd.in/gaC8PW_7 Panasonic North America