Managing Climate Risk in Real Time: Meet LDC’s Global Weather Desk 99
Our Weather Desk is transforming how LDC navigates climate risk by combining global meteorological expertise and advanced data analytics to support smarter decisions. From sourcing to trading and shipping, the team is enabling resilient and sustainable business activities.
In the ever-changing world of agribusiness, where timing and precision are key, actionable weather insights can make or break a harvest season. That’s why LDC launched its Global Weather Desk in 2023, bringing together meteorologists, climatologists and data engineers from across the globe to deliver timely, tailored weather intelligence to support critical business decisions across the value chain.
The team includes seasoned meteorologists based in North and South America, as well as Southeast Asia, enabling continuous monitoring of regional climate dynamics in these key agricultural areas. Supported by data engineers, the team leverages global datasets to fuel their analytics, ensuring the insights provided are both timely and tailored.
“Weather and climate are the number one driver of volatility of supply for agricultural goods. Our goal is to provide real-time, actionable intelligence that helps our commercial platforms take the most favorable decisions – from anticipating crop risks and timing purchases, to adjusting shipping routes,” says Lukas Jakob, Head of Data Science, Fundamental Trading.
The Weather Desk acts as a unified hub, equipping trading and supply chain teams with timely insights through daily briefings, seasonal updates and long-term climate scenarios. Analysts receive layered forecasts, from 14-day outlooks to seven-month projections, enriched by climate risk models that look ahead to 2050 and beyond.
“Climate variability is increasingly disrupting traditional weather patterns, and many models are struggling to keep pace. We work closely with traders and analysts to interpret not just the forecasts, but also the underlying signals that drive them – like ocean temperatures or jet stream shifts,” say Jenny Kafka and Heloisa Ramos Pereira, meteorologists based in US and Brazil, respectively.
From temperature, rainfall or wind speed to ocean currents, soil moisture or river levels, data sits at the core of the Weather Desk’s value. Working with many seasonal models, the team levers AI-based pattern recognition, satellite remote sensing, and ensemble forecasting systems to build predictive algorithms for yield shifts and shipping routes, while also supporting sustainability efforts and initiatives like regenerative agriculture programs.
“We rely on the Weather Desk for both near-term forecasts as well as broader climate trends that inform our commercial strategy. By integrating their insights with our business models, we gain critical context on potential supply shifts, sharpening production outlook, reducing risk and supporting commercial decisions,” adds Mauricio Moraes, Global Head of Grains & Oilseeds Research and Data Science. “Ultimately, this enables us to better support our business partners as we can provide farmers with more informed guidance and support customers make smarter, more resilient sourcing choices.”
As climate volatility increases, our Weather Desk helps LDC to manage risks and secure a strategic advantage – anticipating extreme events, adapting early and supporting a more climate-aware approach for agriculture in a warming world.