FAO figures
2000: 785 million / 2008: 854 million / 2009: 1 billion
The Commodity Stock Exchange in Chicago (CSE) is the world's largest exchange for agricultural products. After the crash on Wall Street, Nov. / Dec. 07 fled the highly speculative hedge funds and other funds to the CSE. This exploded the annual volume of world trade "food papers:
2000: 10 billion $ / 2008: 175 billion $ existed at the end of May!
Speculators pocketed huge profits. Cargill, the world's largest trading house in this area made in the 1st Quarter of 2007 553 million dollar profit / in the first 1:03 quarter of 2008 billion $ * => +86% source
* bonuses and salaries of speculators to be added!
On 1st Quarter of 2008 increased the world price for rice by 59% and the price of corn to 61% - the poor farmers did not benefit them - rather explode hunger and profits of the speculators!
