Brazilian Coffee Crop Development Paints Bearish Picture

By James Cordier:It was only this Spring that coffee prices touched a 14 year high from a combination of lower supplies and an optimistic economic outlook. Specifically, coffee prices were responding to a marked shortage of high quality, washed arabica beans. These are the beans primarily used in higher end gourmet coffees such as Starbucks (SBUX).

By Gary Bourgeault:An increase in coffee or roya leaf rust in Central America has generated concerns on how it could have an effect on coffee production in the region, as well as the resultant coffee prices that may accompany any possible shortages.

By Hard Assets Investor: by Edward Faubert We examine performance of the major soft commodities during the fourth quarter of 2012.Despite a year of more quantitative easing, soft commodity markets slump amid newfound surpluses. Coffee

German chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy proposed a "quick new stability pact" that allegedly will bypass the need for treaties. However, there is already disagreement over the role of the ECB. Please consider Germany, France plan quick new Stability Pact

By James Cordier: With equity prices collapsing and gold prices soaring, it might be comforting for investors to know that there are some investment classes out there that still respond to good old fashioned supply and demand fundamentals. The soybean market serves as a perfect example this month.

From Michael Krieger of Liberty Blitzkrieg Inflation Hits Coffee As Brewers Secretly Swap Robusta for Arabica

By Nicholas Pardini:The end of 2011 brought the end of ethanol subsidies for American corn farmers. Tariffs on the imports of foreign ethanol have also been waived. The effects of these developments are clear: ethanol production will be shifted more towards Brazil, which produces more cost-efficient and environmentally sound sugar-based ethanol compared to American corn-based biofuels.