The world in 2040: expect water shortages and a bellicose China
The world in 2040: expect water shortages and a bellicose China
Jonathan Compton predicts the key economic and political changes investors should factor in over the next two decades.
6 Nov 2020
The best ways to invest in the farms of the future
The best ways to invest in the farms of the future
Jonathan Compton assesses the key trends in post-pandemic agriculture and how you could profit from them.
20 Aug 2020
7 April 1999: The WTO rules in favour of the US in the Banana Wars
7 April 1999: The WTO rules in favour of the US in the Banana Wars
The World Trade Organisation sides with the US over the EU's preferential treatment of its former colonies in the banana trade, on this day in 1999.
7 Apr 2020
Investors are experiencing a cannabis comedown
Investors are experiencing a cannabis comedown
Things seemed to be turning out well for pot-heads in 2019 – and for the companies that seek to provide for their needs. Then a new, more depressing r…
1 Jan 2020
Cash in on cannabis as a new industry emerges
Cash in on cannabis as a new industry emerges
The prohibitionist era is over: countries are rapidly legalising marijuana for medical and recreational use. Ben Judge reviews the latest developments…
16 May 2019
Chart of the week: hogs high on swine fever
Chart of the week: hogs high on swine fever
The number of pigs in China, around 450 million, is set to shrink by a third by the end of 2019 as swine flu rages – meanwhile, US pork sales to China…
29 Apr 2019
Agri-tech: harvesting profits from the future of the food industry
Agri-tech: harvesting profits from the future of the food industry
The agricultural sector has long survived by throwing more pesticides, machines and land at every problem. That won’t work any more. Merryn Somerset W…
25 Apr 2019
Britain is running out of water
Britain is running out of water
Drier summers and a rapidly growing population mean parts of Britain will run out of water in 25 years. What can we do about it, and how much would it…
30 Mar 2019
Save on tax and save the planet: put some money in forestry
Save on tax and save the planet: put some money in forestry
You can’t expect to find a magic money tree, but if you are a wealthier investor, then adding a forest to your portfolio could boost your returns – an…
21 Feb 2019
Chart of the week: coffee comes off the boil
Chart of the week: coffee comes off the boil
Coffee prices have tumbled to a 12-year low, thanks to a bumper crop in Brazil – the world’s largest producer – and a stronger US dollar.
28 Sep 2018
Chart of the week: vanilla is more valuable than silver
Chart of the week: vanilla is more valuable than silver
Vanilla is one of the world’s most popular flavours, but a dear one. As this chart shows, a supply squeeze over the past few years has propelled price…
24 Aug 2018
The war on pot has failed – so should we legalise cannabis?
The war on pot has failed – so should we legalise cannabis?
Cannabis is legal in Canada and several US states. Now England’s chief medical officer wants to loosen restrictions on medical marijuana. The tide is …
28 Jul 2018
Chart of the week: cheese – the first casualty of the trade war
Chart of the week: cheese – the first casualty of the trade war
US cheese prices have crumbled thanks to a glut – the block cheddar cheese benchmark price settled at around $1.54 a pound
20 Jul 2018
The city that ran out of water
The city that ran out of water
Cape Town, South Africa’s second-biggest city, might soon have to turn off the taps. What went wrong? And is this a sign of things to come for other c…
18 Feb 2018
Are we running out of food?
Are we running out of food?
As the world’s population soars, new technologies and changing consumption habits will be key to keeping everyone fed. Alex Rankine reports.
6 Jan 2018
How to profit as marijuana becomes mainstream
How to profit as marijuana becomes mainstream
Next year recreational cannabis use becomes legal in California. With Canada also set to lift its ban, Big Weed will soon present a host of investment…
7 Sep 2017
Chart of the week: vanilla could soon be off the menu
Chart of the week: vanilla could soon be off the menu
Vanilla prices have rocketed to a record peak of more than $600 a kilo, after a cyclone in March dented supplies from Madagascar, which accounts for h…
1 Sep 2017
Chart of the week: Trump will spoil the Super Bowl party
Chart of the week: Trump will spoil the Super Bowl party
America’s Super Bowl, the annual final of the National Football League, is the second-biggest day for food consumption after Thanksgiving.
27 Jan 2017
Chart of the week: “shrinkflation” hits the chocolate market
Chart of the week: “shrinkflation” hits the chocolate market
Toblerone, Quality Street and Creme Eggs have all been hit by “shrinkflation”, with customers getting less for more after the price of cocoa butter so…
25 Nov 2016
Chart of the week: bumper harvest hits truffle prices
Chart of the week: bumper harvest hits truffle prices
Heavy rains in the Tanaro river basin in Piedmont, northwest Italy, have led to a bumper harvest of Alba white truffles this year.
18 Nov 2016
Chart of the week: the rise of the garlic-hoarders
Chart of the week: the rise of the garlic-hoarders
The wholesale price of garlic in China, which accounts for more than 80% of the world’s exports, has risen since 2015 as heavy rains damaged crops. Ga…
4 Nov 2016
Chart of the week: lobster prices are boiling over
Chart of the week: lobster prices are boiling over
Hipsters’ passion for lobster rolls has helped propel lobster prices to an 11-year high. Global lobster imports were 7% up year-on-year in the first q…
21 Oct 2016
Chart of the week: America’s butter mountain
Chart of the week: America’s butter mountain
Spot butter prices in America hit a record peak above $3 a pound in 2015, but now they are falling. Butter stockpiles are up 52% from a year ago and c…
6 Oct 2016
Chart of the week: wheat mountain weighs on prices
Chart of the week: wheat mountain weighs on prices
In 2008, wheat prices briefly spiked above $13 a bushel, sparking food riots in emerging markets. Since then, they have slumped by more than 70%.
2 Sep 2016