commodities

Consumer

Climate Change Forces Starbucks Deeper into Coffee R&D

Photo by Shelby Murphy Figueroa via Unsplash

Starbucks is buying two farms in Central America to conduct research on the crop at the heart of its business: coffee.

2 min read

Photo by Colton Sturgeon via Unsplash

Markets

Energy Crisis Spurs Record Payout at Vitol Group

Vitol Group, the world’s largest independent oil trader, has paid around a record $6.4 billion in share buybacks to its employee-owners.

1 min read
Photo by Alex Proimos via CC BY 2.0

International Economics

Amid Wars and Economic Malaise, Latin America Could Be a Place to Grow

While most of the world faced a decrease in foreign direct investment (FDI) last year, Latin America stood as a strong outlier.

1 min read
Photo by Federico Respini via Unsplash

Inflation & Prices

Cocoa Prices Are On a Wild Ride

Cocoa prices plunged almost 30% in the past week after a rally that pushed prices nearly 80% higher to start the year.

1 min read

Inflation & Prices

US Cattle Prices Take a Hit as Bird Flu Spooks Traders

Photo by Etienne Girardet via Unsplash

Futures prices had surged to record highs in recent months because of droughts contributing to the country’s smallest herd since the 1950s.

1 min read

Photo illustration by Connor Lin / The Daily Upside, Photos by Vlad Yushinov and Choness via iStock

Consumer

Is the Restaurant Industry at the End of an Era?

Across-the-board inflation — including food costs, labor costs, and real estate costs — is pummeling restaurants. Can the industry survive?

6 min read
Photo by Nandaro via CC BY-SA 3.0

Media & Entertainment

2024: The Year Legacy Media Gave Up on Cable

In 2024, legacy media giants like Disney and NBCUniversal finally had enough with cable — and started making their own off-ramps.

1 min read
Photo by Ajay Suresh via CC BY 2.0

Media & Entertainment

2024: The Year YouTube Became TV

YouTube may have started off as a platform for small screens, but now it’s increasingly dominating the living room TV.

2 min read

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