There is a tremendous hype all over the world about the wonders of investing in timber, rhodium, carbon emissions credits, private equity funds and various ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) that seek to double the return of wheat, corn, soybeans and the like. Each week, over the last four months, between $5 billion and $10 billion of fresh money has poured into the Goldman Sachs Commodity Index, the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index and other Index Funds, which now total over $200 billion. Hedge funds, banks and pension funds have poured capital into oil trading in recent years, betting that demand will outstrip supply. Such bets have become self-fulfilling prophecies, helping to push prices higher. Trading volume in commodity futures and options contracts has soared across the globe, with the number of agricultural contracts gaining 32 per cent from a year earlier, followed by industrial metals and energy products, which increased by 29.7 per cent and 28.6 per cent respectively, according to the Futures Industry Association.With a global slump in economies, speculators have moved from stocks to commodities.   more »