What do supply chains have in common with humans? They both need occasional health checks.

Mark Gath’s farmhouse in Luverne, Minnesota, sits 30 miles down country roads from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. From that base in the heartland, Gath, a sturdy man in boots and a blue shirt, farms more than 10,000 acres of corn and soybeans with the help of his wife, Leah, and sons Dalton and Stetson. Though his farm is larger than average, he feels squeezed by low commodity prices and the rising costs of seeds, pesticides and equipment. “Everyone is scared out here,” he says.

World Cup barbecues may be under threat as beers, fizzy drinks and meat producers warn of potential shortages caused by a lack of CO2.