The price of many commodities are expected to rise this year primarily fuelled by increased demand worldwide, the International Monetary Fund has said. The demand for commodities is anticipated to grow as the global economy is improving, after witnessing one of the worst financial meltdowns in 2009. "Looking ahead into 2010, prices of many commodities are likely to increase further. The demand side should generally be the main source of...

After easing a bit in the previous week, food inflation was back to near-20% levels in the third week of December as items such as potatoes and pulses continued to belie hopes of sustained relief over prices of essential commodities. The wholesale price-based index of food articles rose by 1.18% for the week ended December 19 from 18.65% a week ago. One week before that, food inflation had stood at...

In a bid to curb the unprecedented loss of the world's species due to human activity – at a rate some experts put at 1,000 times the natural progression – the United Nations is marking 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity, with a slew of events highlighting the vital role the phenomenon plays in maintaining the life support system on Planet Earth. “Humans are part of nature's rich diversity...

The following piece was written for the UNIDO’s General Conference that took place in Vienna this month but could not be carried by any of the international papers because of a slight delay, although some feel its contents may not be ideologically palatable to them. Hence it is being carried here for the benefit of our readers. —Editor A highly positive sum game awaits the community of nations if an internationally...

Food price index rose 18.65 per cent in the 12 months to Dec 12, while the fuel index was up 3.95 per cent, the government said on Thursday. The worst monsoon in nearly four decades and flooding in some parts of the country have pushed up food prices. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday said checking inflation is a major challenge for the government in the short-to-medium term. Annual wholesale...