In The Sugar Casino, the global sugar trade is revealed as it truly is: a high-stakes arena shaped by weather, politics, logistics, finance, and the ambitions of those who can read the market before it moves.
This updated second edition revisits the forces that have transformed the industry—from shifting trade flows and biofuel policy to volatility, supply shocks, and the evolving roles of merchants, producers, and speculators. Drawing on a decade of market observation, it also features some of the most compelling sugar-related interviews the author has conducted over the past ten years, bringing the voices of leading industry participants directly into the story.
Part history, part market chronicle, and part insider’s guide, The Sugar Casino explains why sugar has always been far more than a sweetener. It is a global commodity capable of making—and losing—fortunes.
The Sugar Casino – Revisited is available on Amazon
Step inside the world of agricultural commodity trading with the fully updated and expanded second edition of Commodity Conversations – An Introduction to Trading Agricultural Commodities. Voted one of the best books ever written on commodity trading, this acclaimed guide returns with even more practical insight, clarity, and real-world expertise.
Whether you’re a student, market professional, or simply curious about how food and raw materials move from farm to table, Commodity Conversations demystifies the global trade in grains, oilseeds, sugar, and more. Jonathan Kingsman draws on decades of experience to explain market structures, pricing, risk management, and trading strategies-always in accessible language and with vivid, up-to-date examples.
This second edition features:
- Guest chapters from industry leaders on freight, operations, and macroeconomics, expanding your understanding of the entire supply chain.
- 100% new interviews with traders, analysts, operators, and freight specialists, offering fresh perspectives and invaluable front-line lessons.
- Updated commentary reflecting the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in today’s volatile markets.
Engaging, comprehensive, and practical, Commodity Conversations is your essential companion for navigating the complexities of agricultural markets, whether you’re taking your first steps or sharpening your trading edge.
Commodity Conversations is available on Amazon
In the intricate, ever-evolving world of agriculture, a network of professionals works tirelessly to ensure the food on our plates and the fibres in our clothes are produced, processed, and delivered efficiently. Commodity Professionals—The People Behind the Trade takes you on an enlightening journey through the thirty-plus vital professions that underpin the agricultural supply chain.
This book explores the diverse roles that keep the supply chain running. Each chapter offers an in-depth profile of a profession, highlighting the skills, challenges, and rewards of the work. Through engaging narratives and first-hand accounts, discover how these unsung heroes navigate the complexities of global trade, market fluctuations, and technological advancements.
Whether you are a student, an industry professional, or simply curious about the origins of your food, Commodity Professionals – The People Behind the Trade offers a comprehensive and fascinating look at the human elements that drive the agricultural industry. Prepare to gain a newfound appreciation for the dedicated individuals who ensure that commodities flow smoothly from farm to table.
Commodity Professionals – The People Behind the Trade is available on Amazon.
In this book, Jonathan Kingsman examines the history of nine commodity crops and interviews the merchants and traders who manage their journey to your kitchen. He describes the challenges of their daily work and the major trends that will shape their futures. In particular, he focuses on the opportunities traders face as we decarbonise our agricultural supply systems.
This book is for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of agricultural commodity trading and the food supply chain. It includes interviews with some of the world’s top traders and a contribution from Erasmus University.
Commodity Crops & The Merchants Who Trade Them is available now on Amazon.
This book is the story of a journey – the voyage of the humble coffee bean through time, space and form.
Your journey begins with dancing goats in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. It quickly moves to religious conflict in the port of Mocha, once the world’s only source of coffee. Western countries soon entered the scene, spreading precious coffee plants throughout their colonies, first to Java and Ceylon, then to the Caribbean, Africa and Central America. It is a tale of romance and intrigue, but one with an underbelly of suffering and exploitation whose dark history still shapes the world today.
The second stage of your journey begins in the coffee plantations and ends in your local coffee shop. Along the way, the author introduces you to the growers, millers, merchants, roasters, and brand owners who make this miraculous journey possible. They will share with you their love of the world’s favourite drink. They will explain how our little bean changes in form from bright red coffee cherries to light green beans to dark brown, aromatic roasted coffee. They will also explain how they are enhancing the coffee business. It is a fascinating story.
This book will widen your knowledge if you are already in the coffee business. If you want to learn more about the coffee business, this book will be your ‘go-to’ source. And if you enjoy coffee, this book will add a new dimension to your daily ‘cuppa’.
Crop to Cup – Conversations over Coffee is available on Amazon as a paperback or an e-book
In 1979, Dan Morgan, a Washington Post journalist, wrote Merchants of Grain, a definitive history of the international grain trade. In the 40 years since Dan’s book was published, the grain markets have changed almost beyond recognition. So, too, have the merchants of grain. Once shadowy figures, grain merchants have now stepped into the light.
Almost everything you eat or drink today contains something bought, stored, transported, processed, shipped, distributed, or sold by one of the seven giants of the agricultural supply chain. The media often refers to them as the ABCD group of international grain-trading companies, with ABCD standing for ADM, Bunge, Cargill and Dreyfus. The acronym, however, overlooks the other three giants of the food supply: Glencore, COFCO International, and Wilmar. Together, they handle 50 per cent of the international trade in grain and oilseeds.
In this book’s series of exclusive, unprecedented interviews, CEOs and senior traders from these seven giants describe, in their own words, how agricultural markets are changing and how they are adapting.
This is the inside story of the grain market and the seven companies at the centre of the world’s food supply.
Out of the Shadows – The New Merchants of Grain is available on Amazon