For decades, the United States was the sole global superpower. In the view of geopolitical analyst Jacob Shapiro, the shift has been made to multipolarity without a dominant global power. In this environment, Shapiro said U.S. agriculture needs a more focused trade policy with countries who share its interests. “So China is probably not a long-term partner from us on a trade or economic basis; our interests are just not in common,” said Shapiro. “Neither is a country like Mexico, which is already angry at us for a lot of different reasons or Japan. We need to solidify relationships with those countries that we know are not hostile to American interests but still want to import American goods.” Shapiro, who is a partner with Cognitive Investments, has a mixed view regarding biofuels. “If we haven’t fixed global hunger, why we’re taking calories and putting them into fuel? Especially when we’re awash in natural gas, we could be building nuclear reactors, there’s solar and wind. The idea of growing crops for energy when you have plenty of other energy sources, there’s cognitive disconnect there that I can’t work out.” In an interview with the Red River Farm Network, Shapiro said he remains incredibly optimistic about the next five to ten years. Shapiro spoke Thursday at the Ag and Food Summit in Minneapolis.
