Did anyone watch the live coverage of the independent’s decision to back Labor? We caught the last few minutes. They were remarkable enough. It went something like this: “Why do you think that the coalition would be more likely to go to [back to] the polls?” a reported asked.
September 11th, 2010 | Nickolai Hubble | 13 comments | ContinuedAll Posts Tagged With: "food"
The Best Way to Bet on America
There is lots of ugly economic news out there, but one key bright spot is world trade. In the US, one particular industry will enjoy windfall profits from exports this year. That industry is agriculture. In 2009, world trade took a big hit in the wake of the financial crisis. Global exports fell 12%.
September 1st, 2010 | Chris Mayer | 49 comments | Continued
The Rise, Fall, and Rise of Disaster
The US Department of Agriculture may have some usefulness. Projecting future prices isn’t one of them. In 2005, it looked five years ahead and saw a bushel of wheat selling for $3.50. Last week, the price rose to more than twice that much. The government banned wheat exports and prices shot up to their highest point in 51 years.
August 16th, 2010 | Bill Bonner | 84 comments | Continued
The Great Grain Robbery
In 1972, Russia’s wheat crop failed. Russia had to dip into the global grain markets to meet demand. Before Washington knew the plight of its Cold War adversary, Russia bought up all of the surplus wheat in the US. Dubbed “The Great Grain Robbery,” Russia’s purchases sent grain prices soaring around the world.
August 10th, 2010 | Chris Mayer | 14 comments | Continued
The Fertilizer Crisis
One of the world’s most important fertilizers is in short supply. That fertilizer is potash. One of the first things people change as they emerge from poverty is their diet. They move toward more meat and a greater variety of fruits and vegetables. But the web of food production shivers and shakes in the short term in response to economic pressures.
July 20th, 2010 | Chris Mayer | 0 comments | Continued
Get Rich Slow
Recently, I spent a few days in an old chateau in the countryside of Normandy, France. There is a tiny town about a mile from the chateau, but otherwise, it is a picture of things pastoral – green meadows… cows cropping grass and taking in the sun… a Jacobin farmhouse… miles of farmland all around… Since I’ve been writing and talking about farmland, I had a deeper appreciation for just how useful such land is. Really, I can think of no better asset to own during any kind of financial crisis…
January 22nd, 2009 | Chris Mayer | 2 comments | Continued
Where was your Money in 2008?
2008 is now in the rear-view mirror, with virtually every investor shouting “Good riddance!” and praying for a better year to come. Forget about making money, just keeping your head above water was an accomplishment over the past twelve months…
January 14th, 2009 | Doug Hornig | 1 comment | Continued
Fed is Trying to Keep the Money and Credit Moving: Commodities, Food, Oil and Gold
The Fed is trying to keep the money and credit moving. But it is going where it wasn’t supposed to go – into commodities, food, oil and gold. Still, the experts can’t see it. Instead, they read the polls, watch the TV, and come to the wrong conclusion.
May 7th, 2008 | Bill Bonner | 2 comments | Continued
Food, Fuel, and Finance: The Crisis of the Three Fs
The grand poobahs of the world’s economy are wringing their hands in worry over the three Fs, each its own kind of crisis: food, fuel, and finance. As usual, it’s the people at the margin (whether lending or with food) that are affected first when surplus turns to scarcity. Despite all the daily signs of abundance here in Australia, let us not forget that there are about four and half billion people on the planet who have little margin for error in their daily lives.
April 14th, 2008 | Dan Denning | 13 comments | Continued
Increased Energy Prices Slowing Global Economy
Think of the global economy as a system of systems. Food, energy, credit, transportation, information… all these systems are interconnected and interdependent. Energy is what keeps them all connected. As energy prices increase, the connections become stressed and frayed. A world with more expensive energy is a less connected world. When you stop throwing cheap energy at an economy, its total growth slows down.
April 7th, 2008 | Dan Denning | 4 comments | Continued
