67. Prices and profits: Is commodity speculation making the global food crisis worse?

This episode of The Weekly Tradecast looks at the influence big trading companies have on food supplies and prices with Anastasia Nesvetailova, head of UNCTAD’s macroeconomic and development policies branch. Food costs have soared due to the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and extreme weather – pushing vulnerable countries and people to the brink. But as many households and businesses struggle, the largest food trading companies are making big profits. New research in UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Report 2023 highlights how fragmented rules for the food trading industry have played a key role in enabling speculation and profiteering.  Tune in to Anastasia Nesvetailova, the author of the research, to find out why volatility threatens our food security and how we could make commodities trading more transparent.