The outlook for commodities remains grim for this year, except that oil will fall a bit less than previously forecast, the World Bank said. Average prices for fuels such as crude, natural gas and coal will tumble 39% from 2014, while those for materials like metals and fertilisers will fall about 12%, the Washington-based lender said in its quarterly Commodity Markets Outlook released Wednesday.
Latin America posted a decrease in high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) as falling commodity prices affect the continent’s economies, especially Brazil which accounts for more than 50% of Latin America’s HNWI wealth.
Agriculture is part of the solution to the world's environmental challenge and must play a key role at next June's Rio summit on sustainable development, the Brazilian head of the UN food agency said this week.
Commodity prices fell on Thursday for a fourth day, following weak economic news from Europe and the US. Oil prices were down 10% at one stage, with US light, sweet crude ending the day below 100 US dollars a barrel.
Testifying before Congress Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega said that international commodity prices are behind much of the country’s rising inflation, but insisted the government will take action to keep prices in check and prevent the currency from strengthening too far too fast.
G-20 Economy ministers will be meeting May 18/19 in Argentina to address commodity prices’ variations, according to Argentine sources. The meeting was agreed during the recent IMF/World Bank spring assemblies in Washington, following on Argentina’s deep concern about the “volatility” of commodity prices.
Members of the US Federal Reserve are in sharp disagreement about how to address rising prices. The bank might need to tighten the reins on the economy before the end of the year to stave off inflation, said some members of the central bank's policy-setting body.