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Commerzbank Pulls out of Food Price Speculation

Commerzbank’s Moral Move

By , Farms.com

The  2012 drought that’s hammering the Corn Belt regions in the U.S. and parts of Canada has been stirring up chaos in the food price debate with every major bank and agriculture economics expert speculating on what food prices are going to do in response to the drought. It’s been a circus of speculating opinions, instilling fear among farmers and consumers alike. For one bank speculating on food prices is a moral statement, Commerzbank one of the biggest banks in Germany has said that they will stop speculating on basic food prices as they will not play a role in artificially pushing up food prices.

"If a bank can't be sure which damage such speculation may cause, it should not offer such funds to be on the safe side," Foodwatch Germany Managing Director Thilo Bode said in a statement.

Commerzbank has eliminated all agricultural products from its Commodity fund, to ensure that their agricultural funds don’t artificially spur food prices contributing to possible hunger in some parts of the world. This is an admirable move made by Commerzbank and they should be commended on their leadership and signalling to the world that they don’t plan on exacerbating the food price scenario.


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Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.