Markets

Back to the future: taxing finance

In this era of budgetary obsession, we need to make sure everyone pays their fair share, even the well-protected financial services industry. Reinstating a small tax on financial trades would not only generate significant revenue, it would help stabilize markets that have caused so much turmoil in recent years.

TPP: Doubling down on failed trade policy

The 16th round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) began this week in Singapore.

Deutsche Bank and the fine art of self-exoneration

On January 19, Deutsche Bank (DB) issued “Questions and Answers on investments in agricultural commodities”.  The DB stated that after an internal examination, it was resuming investments in agricultural derivatives contracts that it had suspended since March 2011.

Risky Business: The future of agriculture

Hard on the heels of Oxfam’s Food and Gender Discussion Blog, in which ten experts provided ten views over ten days intended to reframe food security from the perspective of women’s rights and women’s agency comes another Oxfam online forum for debate on agriculture called "The Futu

The Common Denominator

IATP President Jim Harkness presented the following address to the attendees of the 11th Hour Project's grantee gathering on October 11, 2012. See a video of his remarks below. Good morning.

Chiko the Cat says support IATP to the max

Dear Friends, Give to the Max Day in Minnesota is a special day to support your favorite Minnesota nonprofits.

An open letter to G-20 finance ministers: The world needs leadership on finance reform

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Government of the United Kingdom Michel Barnier, Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, European Commission Ikko Nataksuka, Minister of State for Financial Services, Government of Japan

The CFS comes of age

I came away from the 39th session of UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) last Saturday tired but hopeful. In a world where many are skeptical of global institutions' ability to solve the world’s most challenging problems—not least of which, climate change—the CFS offers a new approach to global governance, and is getting results.

U.S. judge thwarts commodity market reform

Last week a U.S. federal judge struck down a Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) rule designed to prevent excessive speculation in agricultural and non-agricultural commodities by Wall Street and its biggest corporate clients.

Ag swaps: A tiny boat on the vast financial data sea

Agricultural prices, both national and international, are affected by commodity and financial market rules. Export revenues and import costs depend on the value of the dollar, the dominant international currency for commodity trading, relative to the value of other currencies.

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