Commodity Price Volatility: The Impact of Commodity Index Traders

Over the years, critics have argued that futures market prices have been either too low or too high. Speculators have often been the target for the wrath of those feeling the futures price does not properly reflect market fundamentals. Recently, the criticism has been vented toward a new type of speculator that has been blamed for the dramatic changes in agricultural commodity prices experienced over the last several years. Commodity index traders (CITs) and other large institutional traders are commonly accused of exerting a destabilizing influence on commodity prices. The intensity of the debate over the role of CITs appeared to wane with the reduction in commodity prices since 2008 but the recent release of a well-publicized OECD report on the issue by Irwin and Sanders (2010) along with the doubling of wheat prices and the claim by von Braun (2010) and others that the rise was due to speculative activity has renewed the debate.commodity, index futures, trading, volatility, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Demand and Price Analysis, Marketing,

Commodity Price Volatility: The Impact of Commodity Index Traders

index, traders, commodity, price, volatility, Agricultural and Food Policy, Demand and Price Analysis, Marketing,

Seasonal Solar Thermal Energy Storage

Solar intermittency is a major problem, and there is a need and great interest in developing a means of storing solar energy for later use when solar radiation is not available. Thermal energy storage (TES) is a technology that is used to balance the mismatch in demand and supply for heating and/or cooling. Solar thermal energy storage is used in many applications: buildings, concentrating solar power plants and industrial processes. Solar thermal water heaters capable of heating water during the day and storing the heated water for evening use are common. TES improves system performance by smoothing supply and demand and temperature fluctuations. Thermal energy storage has become a fast-growing business. According to a research report, the global thermal energy storage market is expected to reach USD 12.50 billion by 2025. The chapter describes different types of thermal energy storage systems. Brief history, current state of research and the future of thermal storage are presented. Types of thermal storages, classifications, advantages and disadvantages are discussed; important thermal and physical properties are tabulated. Advances in enhancement of thermal properties of materials are briefly discussed. Challenges, opportunities, market outlook, government incentives and polices that support deployment of energy storage systems are outlined

The changing egg demand in Canada: do advertising and health message contents matter?

Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Health Economics and Policy,

Impact of Private Manufacturing Investment on Local Economy: A Case Study at Mekelle zone

Good private manufacturing investment is a basic for the whole economy. However, many private investors in LDC‟s are not participated in manufacturing sector. Since Ethiopia is one of these LDC‟s its Economy depends on Agriculture. Therefore, private manufacturing investment is essential for the local as well as for the whole economy. The study used panel data collected from 205 respondents randomly selected sampled of private investors and workers of private firms from Mekelle city. The survey responses were analyzed through descriptive and econometric analysis using logit and multivariable regression model of analysis. Therefore, this study aims to determine the impact of private manufacturing investment on the local economy at Mekelle town. Data collected has been analyzed using both descriptive and econometric data analysis techniques. For the econometric analysis, this study employed the logistic regression model to analyze the dummy variables. And the multivariable regression model for the other variables that were out of the dummy variables. The descriptive technique also used for the characteristic and demographic of the respondents. The study concluded that the impact of private manufacturing investment has positive impact on the local economy and it may also lay some ground for further study related to the area

The Effects of Relative Price and Health Information on Derived Demand for Sweeteners in the U.S. Food Processing Industry

The purpose of the study is to examine the differential effects of relative prices and diet-health link information on the degree of substitution between corn and cane sugar in the U.S. food processing sector. Our results suggest that the nature of the relationship between cane and corn sugar is complementary and time-varying; and the elasticity of substitution is more responsive to changes in relative prices than to changes in health information.Derived Demand, Sweeteners, Relative Prices, Health Information, Trade offs, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, D21, I18, L66,

Do Decision Makers' Debt-risk Attitudes Affect the Agency Costs of Debt?

Over the past 25 years, traditional agricultural co-operatives have been challenged by competition from local investor-owned firms and multinational companies, deregulation and globalization of trade, and increased market concentration in suppliers and purchasers. At the same time, co-operatives have constantly been seeking to add value to their member services through expansion and/or adoption of new technology. The capital investment needed for these endeavours has to be financed, and for traditional co-operatives the major source of financing new investments has been long-term borrowing. As a result some co-operatives are characterized by high debt loads, which may result in increased financial risk exposure. Important factors that may influence the level of financial risk exposure are the potential conflicts between managerial self-interest and the interest of the owners of the firm (Jensen, 1986; Jensen and Meckling, 1976) and the impact of these differences on the choice of capital structure (Friend and Lang, 1988; Firth, 1995; Matthews et al., 1994). Despite the considerable literature (e.g., Jensen and Meckling, 1976; Lewis and Sappington, 1995), the impact that differences in attitudes between managers and directors/members have upon the decision making process has remained a relatively unexplained aspect of agency problems, especially in member-owned firms. This article assesses the social-psychological and demographic variables that affect co-operative decision makers’ attitudes toward long-term debt financing and their intentions to increase long-term borrowing.Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy,

Measuring Efficiency in Fruit and Vegetable Marketing Co-operatives with Heterogeneous Technologies in Canada

The objectives of this study are to estimate the efficiency of fruit and vegetable co-operatives in Canada and to investigate the relationship between the degree of financial leverage and efficiency.Agribusiness,