Trade, Competition, and the Pricing of Commodities
After several decades of quiescence, global commodity prices almost doubled in 2008 and, after a brief fall, rose again in 2011. Over the longer term, the impact of population growth on demand, and of climate change on supply, makes it likely that commodity prices will continue to be an important issue on the global policy agenda.The purpose of this volume, composed of papers presented at a conference co-organised by CEPR and CUTS in Geneva in September 2011, is to identify and assess the importance of the factors responsible for the recent increases in the levels and volatility of commodity prices.