Like copper, corn, or crude oil, companies increasingly trade like commodities. Some investors — certain holders of debt, activist shareholders, and controlling shareholders, especially private equity funds — are focused solely on returns. In practice, this means that they care about the...

We gather extensive global price and volume information to establish that exhaustible mineral commodities are both affordable and abundant. On average, we extract a kilogram of mineral for every 5$ of GDP, at a cost of 1⁄4$. We predict that economic growth will progressively decouple from...

The global spread of the corona virus is a massive challenge for countries in the Global South. Beyond the health crisis, many countries face economic turmoil linked to their dependence on commodities. Commodity markets have reacted strongly to the COVID-19 crisis with drastic price movements...

Sen's capability approach has a culturally specific side, with capabilities influenced by social structures and institutions. Although Sen acknowledges this, he expresses his theory in individualistic terms and makes little allowance for culture or social structure. The present paper draws from...

Venezuelaamp;apos;s agricultural sector is heavily regulated and protected. As part of structural adjustment, the government is considering major reform of its agricultural trade policies. The strategy is to introduce competition into the economy by removing government price controls and...

Deutschland und Frankreich benötigen stetige Metallimporte, um ihr Wirtschaftsmodell aufrechtzuerhalten. Internationale Kooperation ist unerlässlich, damit diese Importe zuverlässig und nachhaltig verlaufen. Doch welche Potenziale bieten sich in diesem Bereich, welche Grenzen sind dabei zu...

In the context of a global surge in demand for commodities, increasing competition and rising prices, several industrialized countries including the European Union have adopted strategies to secure access to raw materials. At the same time, in resource-rich developing countries the debate has...

Although much attention is paid to the Caspian region with regard to energy issues, the domestic consequences of the region's resource production have so far constituted a neglected field of research. A systematic survey of the latest research trends in the economic and political causalities of...

This paper describes some policy instruments set up by the IMF and the European Union in order to provide financial assistance to developing countries whose economies are affected by exogenous shocks from exports side. After briefly reviewing the IMF's CFF and the EU's STABEX, the paper presents...

"A decade ago, hardly anyone had heard of this obscure mineral, used to manufacture the cell phones and laptops that have become so central to our daily lives. Then, in 2000, reports emerged about mines deep in the Congo jungle where coltan was being extracted in brutal conditions watched over...

Der als Wirtschaftsjournalist ausgezeichnete und für SPIEGEL ONLINE als Wissenschaftsredakteur tätige Autor legt hier ein hochaktuelles Buch zu den Chancen und Risiken der Region um den Nordpol vor. Die rechtlich-politischen, ökonomischen und ökologischen Veränderungen im Gebiet des...

Internationale Rohstoffabkommen sind bisher daran gescheitert, schwankende Erlöse langfristig zu stabilisieren. Da die Ursachen dieser Erlösschwankungen nicht beseitigt werden können, steht das Risikomanagement im Mittelpunkt. Mit Hilfe der Portfoliotheorie werden die Bedingungen des...

Examining the commodity chains that have connected producers in Latin America with consumers around the world for 500 years, this work follows a specific commodity from its inception, through its development and transport, to its final destination in the hands of consumers