WIA Webinar to Talk Trade, Tariffs and Tumultuous Economic Shifts

By Michelle Pelletier Marshall, Women in Agribusiness Media (May 27, 2025)

There is no doubt that the world is aflame with change and shifts thanks to a shake down of all things known by the current U.S. administration. Agriculture is caught in the crossfire of many of those disruptions – think withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, calling for the resignations of 15,000 USDA employees, ending DE&I programs, the targeting of undocumented immigrants, frozen funding for farmers, the elimination of the USDA committee that oversees food safety, and cuts to food aid in several countries, not to mention excessive tariffs on many ag and other products in the global food chain.

Photo courtesy of https://unsplash.com/@markuswinkler

But there is hope and a way to cope and find opportunity in the challenges.

In the latest farmer sentiment report, farmers expressed more optimism about current and future conditions on their farms as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rose 8 points to a reading of 148, up from 140 in March. "Producers seem to be gaining confidence in the ag economy's longer-term outlook in spite of concerns they have about the impact of tariffs," said Michael Langemeier, the barometer's principal investigator and director of Purdue University's Center for Commercial Agriculture.

While this survey showed that 53 percent of U.S. farmers expect tariffs to make it harder for them to get needed inputs, 70 percent of the farmers surveyed “expect the increased use of tariffs will, in the long run, strengthen the U.S. agricultural economy,” the summary said, as originally reported by Agri-Pulse.

To shed light on the options at hand and critical decisions being considered, Women in Agribusiness will host a webinar featuring two top voices in the field — agricultural economist Michelle Klieger, president of Stratagerm Consulting, and Brenna Buckstaff, strategic foresight expert and principal at Kearney. The content for this high-impact webinar, Ag Markets in Motion: Trade, Tariffs, and 2025 Economic Shifts, is tailored to decision-makers across the agri-food value chain and designed to equip ag professionals with timely market intelligence and strategic foresight.

Taking place on Thursday, May 29 at 3 p.m. ET, and packaged as exclusive content for WIA members (become a member here!), the panelists will each share expert insight into the state of ag today, welcome a live Q&A session, and provide key takeaways to aid in your business success.

ABOUT THE PANEL & PRESENTERS

The WIA Webinar Panel (L to R): Michelle Klieger, Brenna Buckstaff & Janet Fisher

The panel, moderated by Janet Fisher, assistant director for WIA who leads the U.S. activities for WIA initiatives, will cover:

• Outline key economic signals shaping the 2025 ag landscape

• Break down the latest developments in U.S. trade and tariff policy

• Explore how global tensions and domestic priorities are reshaping ag commodity flows

  
  

Globally sought-after speaker Michelle Klieger is founder of Stratagerm Consulting and the co-founder of Helianth Partners. She works as an agricultural and business consultant to organizations from the farm to the consumer, whether that be working with the global seed industry or agtech companies or conventional and non-conventional agriculture firms.

Klieger is the author of The Demise of Free Trade, which has been published in over two dozen publications, hosts The Grower & The Economist podcast, and is a professor of economics at Bentley University. She holds a master’s in agriculture economics from Purdue University and an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.

Brenna Buckstaff specializes in strategic foresight, public policy and international affairs and has worked with public and private sector leaders and organizations to design and implement future-driven strategies, policies and initiatives that create positive change for communities and individuals. She also is a member of Kearney’s Global Think Tank charged with global thought leadership oversite.  

Buckstaff holds a master’s degree in international relations and economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and also has a bachelor's degree in international political economy from the University of Puget Sound.

Get more information about the Ag Markets in Motion: Trade, Tariffs, and 2025 Economic Shifts webinar and sign up for WIA membership here (use code: JOINNOW for a discount on membership through the end of May).