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In This Edition: Agricultural Market Trends, Rio Negro Drought, and Media We Loved This Month

In this month's edition of Spatial Recognition, we're bringing you an overview of the latest industry trends—from South America's booming soybean production affecting global prices to Hurricane Milton’s impact on citrus farms. Plus, get a deeper look at the Rio Negro's recent water crisis and the cascading effects on biodiversity and trade. Don't miss our recommended media for the month, where we explore climate solutions and tipping points.

Soybean Boom Affects Prices, Citrus Takes a Hit, and Cocoa Costs Shrink Treats

• 1️⃣ South America’s Soybean Surge: Argentina and Brazil are expanding soybean acreage, which could push global production to record levels and potentially drive prices down as supply outpaces demand. Check out demand projections here.
• 2️⃣ $2.5 Billion in Damage to Florida Farms: Hurricane Milton caused severe damage to Florida's agriculture, with major citrus-producing areas suffering significant fruit loss. State officials are now pressing the USDA for disaster relief. Read more here.
• 3️⃣ Chocolate-less Halloween? Candy giants Hershey and Mars are reducing cocoa content in their Halloween treats as cocoa prices reach record highs. With production in West Africa struggling due to dry conditions and El Niño, cocoa supply can't meet demand. This means fewer chocolate bars and more gummy treats on the shelves—plus a little "shrinkflation" in those candy bags. 🍫 Read the full story here

Who Drained the Rio Negro?

The Amazon's major tributary is suffering from record-low water levels, decimating local agriculture, biodiversity, and hydropower generation.

Source: Reuters

Rio Negro Water Levels: The Port of Manaus, located on the Rio Negro, has hit its lowest water level in 122 years, dropping to just 12.66 meters on October 4th, surpassing the previous all-time low recorded last year. This drastic drop in the port's water level directly reflects the severe depletion of the Rio Negro, which is having far-reaching and devastating impacts on the entire region. This represents a rapid and alarming depletion, as water levels have consistently fallen well below the historical average since early 2024. The impacts are far-reaching and devastating:

• Disrupted Trade & Transportation: Grain exports from the Madeira River have been halted entirely, choking the transport of essential supplies that are the region's lifeline, leading to severe implications for regional supply chains.
• Agricultural & Economic Ripples: With grain shipments paused, farmers are reporting losses that threaten their livelihoods, further straining South America's vulnerable agricultural sector.
• Biodiversity Crisis: The Amazon's fragile ecosystems are under immense pressure. Thinning waters are leading to increased deaths among river dolphins, with populations declining due to increased human contact in shrinking waterways.
• Energy Supply Challenges: Brazil's hydropower plants—critical for the country's electricity—are struggling to operate. Water scarcity is hitting energy production hard, leading authorities to consider extreme measures like reinstating daylight saving time to conserve power.
• Wider Regional Impact: This isn't just a local issue. Neighboring rivers, like the Paraguay, are also at record lows, intensifying drought and wildfire conditions across Brazil and Bolivia.

Infrastructure risks like those seen in the Rio Negro are a powerful reminder of how vulnerable supply chains can be to natural disruptions. These events represent just one subtype of risks that can impact any point of a complex value chain, whether upstream or downstream. Marvin's tools provide a holistic view of how interconnected but fractured supply networks are, showing how natural factors affect every player in the network. By mapping out these interactions and gaining visibility into compliance and physical vulnerabilities, Marvin helps businesses strengthen their resilience.

Get a Free Water Availability Assessment Today

🎬 Media We Loved This Month

2040

An Alternative Future

From Damon Gameau, the director of That Sugar Film, comes 2040. An aspirational journey to discover what the future could look like if we simply embraced the best that exists today.

Click Here to Watch

The Tipping Points of Climate Change — and Where We Stand | Johan Rockström - Watch

A Ted Talk on Climate

Climate impact scholar Johan Rockström offers the most up-to-date scientific assessment of the state of the planet and explains what must be done to preserve Earth's resilience to human pressure.

Click Here to Watch

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