Agrifood for thought podcast
Expana’s Agrifood for thought podcast series explores trending topics in the agrifood commodity industry every two weeks, led by Expana’s expert Editors Simon Duke and Jamie Chadwick. Find our latest discussion, and catch up on previous episodes, here.
Our latest episode:
Join host, Expana Managing Editor – EMEA Simon Duke, on Agrifood for Thought as he explores the forces shaping agricultural markets with two expert guests offering deep market insights.
This week’s episode kicks off with a news roundup covering significant regulatory changes, geopolitical tensions, and supply chain disruptions. The FDA has proposed mandatory notification requirements for food additives and feed ingredients as part of efforts to increase food supply transparency. Meanwhile, escalating Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian Black Sea ports are reshaping global grain and oilseed markets. A devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia’s coffee-growing region, creating uncertainty amid record-low global coffee stocks. The EU’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation also takes effect this week, imposing compliance challenges for food and beverage companies.
Featured guest Andrew Woods, Expana senior market reporter, brings expertise in container glass and energy markets. Woods discusses the geopolitical standoff over the Strait of Hormuz and its implications for oil prices, supply chains, and regional stability. He provides analysis on current market conditions and long-term recovery timelines for regional infrastructure.
Greg Potter, Expana’s North America market reporter for feed additives, examines the reshaping of the USA feed additive supply chain amid Chinese overcapacity, tariffs, and trade enforcement actions. Potter breaks down the USA’s dependency on China for critical nutrients like amino acids and vitamins, recent developments in lysine and choline salt imports, and the impact of newly implemented forced labor tariffs on feed additive markets and methionine pricing.
Listen to our previous episodes below
Ep. 43 What's The Catch? Tariff Impact on Global Seafood
The global seafood trade is a complex web of species, product forms, production regions, and seasonality. Join Jamie and special guest Ryan Doyle in episode 43 of Agrifood for thought, as they dive into the deep waters of trade policy and the latest round of tariff news.
Ryan has also written up his analysis of the new tariff implications on seafood here.
Ep. 42 Crops Under Fire
Simon Duke opens with a brief news round-up: USMCA non-renewal in favour of bilateral US trade deals with Canada and Mexico, EU Deforestation Regulation expansion to include coffee and palm oil derivatives, and Fourth of July grilling demand dynamics.
Murphy Campbell (Grains and Oilseeds Reporter, Expana) covers the USDA’s June Acreage Report — wheat planted acres at a 149-year low, corn surprising to the upside despite Iran-driven fertilizer cost spikes — before examining the EPA’s record 2026–27 renewable fuel mandate, which is doubling soybean oil demand and acting as a domestic price floor amid global trade uncertainty.
Andrew Kanyemba (Senior Grains Analyst, Expana) provides a firsthand crop tour account from France. French wheat yields have been revised down to 6.9 t/ha and corn harvest cut from 12 to 9.2 million tonnes — the country’s smallest in decades.
Ep. 41 The New Era in Protein Demand
Consumers are demanding more protein… in everything. Food companies are responding to the challenge. Listen now.
Ep. 40 Middle East, Football World Cup and El Nino
In episode 40 of Agrifood for thought, we return with a new format, featuring guests.
We kick off with a news round-up (Middle East conflict situation, Super El Nino). Then follows a FIFA Football 2026 World Cup update (featuring guests Jaime Almeida, Market Reporter – Beef at Expana, talking about Mexican trends; Ryan Gallagher, Editor at Expana, discussing US beer trends; and an account of a recent interview Simon Duke had with the National Restaurant Association).
The episode concludes with a brief segment by Lisa Guiraud, Commercial Manager, Events at Expana, about Expana’s Women in Food & Agriculture (WFA) mentorship program.
Ep. 39 Innovation and Adaptation at Fruit Logistica
In this episode, we welcome Thess Mostoles from the Expana Editorial team to share insights from Fruit Logistica 2026 in Berlin.
With conversations spanning shifting trade routes, climate challenges, logistical bottlenecks, and product innovations, Thess offers a comprehensive view of how the sector is navigating supply chain unpredictability and evolving consumer demands.
From expanding blueberry exports in Latin America to new hypoallergenic apple varieties in Europe, this episode explores the resilience and adaptability shaping fresh produce markets today.
Ep. 38 Infant Formula Recalls, MAHA, and Reformulation
In this episode of Agrifood for thought, host Simon Duke discusses the dynamic and challenging landscape of the food additives sector in early 2026.
We begin with the global infant formula recalls triggered by cereulide toxin found in arachidonic acid (ARA) oil supplied to major manufacturers like Nestlé, Danone, and Lactalis. The contamination highlights vulnerabilities in global ingredient supply chains and has led to widespread recalls across more than 50 countries.
The episode then explores the US “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) initiative, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. MAHA emphasizes reducing exposure to synthetic additives, especially artificial food dyes, which the FDA aims to phase out through voluntary industry commitments by 2026–2027.
Attention also turns to new European Commission regulations tightening safety standards on six common food additives with phased compliance deadlines aimed at preventing supply shocks.
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