This week’s Open Mic guest is Dan Basse, president of AgResource Company. Commodity and financial markets have been tossed on the waves of COVID-19 and its variants. For 2022, Basse hopes to see a deceleration of cases and more stability in markets. He says inflation is an issue but the bigger story in agriculture is that of demand. The globe’s thirst for food, feed and renewable energy is driving an appetite for commodities that will challenge the production capacity of the planet’s farmers and ranchers. Domestically, Basse says Congress should readdress its 2007 energy policy to provide farmers and investors with clear direction. For now, laws in California and other states are incentivizing next-generation biofuels - heightening demand for oilseed crops and ultimately bringing a shift in planted acreage.