'I can think of a host of readers gaining insights from this book, a most accomplished handbook of the primary commodities in the global economy … it provides a good overview of all the commodity-producing industries, from both a theoretical and a practical perspective. Easy to read and assimilate, it should be required reading not just for students but also within companies and government departments.' Anton Löf, Mineral Economics
1. The Historical Framework; 2. The Geography of Commodity Production and Trade; 3. Comparative Advantage and the Trade Policy Distortions; 4. Fossil Fuels; 5. Price Formation and Price Trends in Commodities; 6. Commodity Booms; 7. The Commodity Exchanges, Commodity Investments and Speculation; 8. Sustainability and the Threats of Resource Depletion; 9. Fears of and Measures to Assure Supply Security; 10. Producer Cartels in International Commodity Markets; 11. Public Ownership in Primary Commodity Production; 12. The Monoeconomies: Issues Raised by Heavy Dependence on Commodity Production and Exports; References; Index.