The Secret Financial Life of Food

One morning while reading Barron’s magazine, Kara Newman took note of a casual bit of advice offered by famed commodities trader Jim Rogers. “Buy breakfast,” he told investors, referring to the value of rising pork belly and frozen orange juice futures. The statement inspired Newman to take a closer look at agricultural commodities, from the iconic pork belly to the more obscure peppercorn and nutmeg. The results, recorded in this fascinating history, show not only how contracts listed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange can read like a menu but also how market behavior can dictate global economic and culinary practice.
Just as the Slow Food movement revolutionized the farmer’s relationship to the table, The Secret Life of Financial Food reveals the economic pathways connecting food to consumer, unlocking the mysteries behind culinary trends, grocery pricing, and restaurant dining. Newman’s lively and compact history travels back to the markets...