Senior Fullstack Software Engineer

Will Kletter is chief operating officer at long-range weather forecasting and ag insights platform ClimateAi.The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of AgFunderNews.Grain buyers in 2025 already have to navigate changing weather and reduced yields. Now, a quickly evolving tariff landscape is making every procurement decision harder.Several countries that supply grains to the U.S. are currently subject to tariff adjustments. The majority of them are currently under a 90-day 10% blanket tariff, which started on April 9.However, Canada, the largest supplier of oats and barley to the US, is exempt from most agricultural tariffs under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).The global grain supply chain is already in a volatile position with geopolitical issues, extreme weather events, and warming trends. These tariffs will increase costs further and make supply from some geographies less cost-effective.Companies that are considering these tariffs and factoring in climate-impacted yields stand to benefit most. Weather intelligence could be the best differentiating factor for grain procurement decisions in 2025.How weather might impact grain crops in 2025Global heating trends are already having an impact on the yield, price, and supply of global crops

Will Kletter is VP operations and strategy at long-range weather forecasting and ag insights platform ClimateAi.The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of AgFunderNews.Coffee drinkers around the world are facing a bitter reality: the rising cost of their daily cup of caffeine.In December, futures of Arabica coffee — the most popular variety prized for its smoother taste and higher quality — hit their highest level in nearly 50 years. In September, Robusta coffee — the second-most traded variety known for its strong, bitter flavor — reached a record high on the ICE-LIFFE futures exchange and currently trades up 93%on the year.The key drivers are two-fold: the world’s two largest coffee producers, Brazil and Vietnam, experienced drought and heavy rain [respectively] during critical growing and harvest periods; and demand for the drink, particularly in emerging markets such as China and India, continues to grow.But this most recent price increase is not an anomaly. Severe weather conditions have strained supply chains and challenged traditional procurement models over the last decade, ultimately driving up coffee prices.Extreme weather is now the normGlobally, droughts, frosts, and heat waves are becoming recurring threats, disrupting the delicate balance required for coffee cultivation. Brazil, which accounts for roughly 40% of global coffee production, exemplifies the fragility of this balance. The country’s reliance on Arabica beans, which are highly sensitive to climatic changes, only amplifies the risks.In 2015, for example, Brazil’s coffee belt was hit by one of the worst droughts in decades and crop yields dropped significantly. Prices then jumped almost 100% compared to the previous year.In the years since, just the mere perception of risk has been enough to drive volatility.During the 2023-2024 growing season, for instance, Brazil experienced a heat-drought event that had a limited impact on production volumes compared to 2015