Hedging Against Hunger – An Update

The Tri-State Coalition continues to be concerned about the impact of excessive speculation in food commodities on volatility in food supplies.  On December 6, 2013, the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) hosted a second informational session regarding excessive speculation in food commodities.

This webinar featured Michael Masters and David Frenk of Better Markets, Inc. a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, that promotes the public interest in financial reform in the domestic and global capital and commodity markets. Both experts have extraordinary experience in complex financial analysis, and have testified before various governments on this subject. The webinar highlighted the history of institutional investing in the commodities market, including new research noting the effects of passive investing and potential legislative changes to these investment tools. This in-depth session is useful for financial advisors and investments committees considering the moral and financial concerns regarding investments in food based commodities.

This session built off the successful webinar created on September 13, 2012, by the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility and the Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment. Co-presenters Mike Masters and David Frenk of Better Markets presented on commodities, their financial structure, the challenges of investing in commodities, as well as their social impact.  This session is useful for financial managers, consultants, and socially responsible investors. Listen to the webinar “Hedging Against Hunger: Webinar for Investment Professionals” (NOTE: The presentation will only play in the Internet Explorer web browser. At the prompt, enter the passcode: iccr2012 ).

Read ICCR’s Guidelines for Responsible Investing in Food Commodities and Recommended Guidelines for Responsible Land Investments