UNCTAD today launched a new publication -- the World Commodity Survey 1999 - 2000 -- which provides unique and practical information on markets, structures and innovations for more than 80 commodities. It explores recent world trends and developments that have had an impact on commodity markets and analyses the increasingly globalized markets for commodities, be they soft or hard, unprocessed or processed. The 350-page Survey also contains a discussion of key commoditized industries and of the main commodity-related services.
A century ago, at a time of earlier globalization, the commodity world underwent profound changes. Today as well, production, marketing and financing structures are in a phase of complete mutation. A new industrial revolution, based on information technology, modern marketing and management strategies, could usher in a new wave of development, underpinning growth and boosting world markets.
However, the world advances at the cost of many creaks and groans, haunted by the spectre of 1929, living on short-term market excesses and paying too little attention to the long term. In that context, it is vital to understand the interaction among the main factors influencing commodity production, trading and financing. The fundamentals must also be analysed, commodity by commodity, and the logic grasped of interrelated elements as diverse as the fall of the purchasing power of commodities compared to the value of manufactured goods, the influence of biotechnology or electronic trading and innovations.
Accordingly, the World Commodity Survey was designed to provide a better understanding of commodity markets and structures, in such areas as electronic trading; grains and temperate zone agriculture; tropical products; fish and shellfish; iron and steel; precious metals and diamonds; and energy. Given the trends towards liberalization and globalization, this should be of particular help to policy makers and others in developing countries interested in enhancing the functioning of the commodity sector in a newly liberalized environment.
The result of a partnership initiated by the French academic group Cyclope and UNCTAD, with further support from the private sector, the Survey is priced at US$ 85.
