Traditional Commodity Research Articles

Capitalization and the production of value at the nexus of academia and industry: the case of a microbiome startup

This article analyses valuation practices, focusing on the way health data constitute different kinds of assets for different actors within an industry-academia partnership in the field of microbiome research. It examines emerging bioeconomic dynamics within data-driven computational biology, contributing to debates about the sociopolitical implications of multiple and synergic valuation practices in personalized medicine for future public health. Through the ethnographic exploration of a personalized nutrition startup active in Europe and the US and a metagenomics research lab based in Italy, we explore the dynamics around the intersection of knowledge production with scientific, economic, and health value. In contrast to traditional commodity and rent-based structures, we expose a hybrid model of bioeconomic enterprise that challenges rigid distinctions between commodification and asset-based rentiership, highlighting synergic business models where multiple registers of the value of worth are played out, translated, and combined. The study unveils a nuanced relationship between data, research, and economic drivers, where scientists perceive they can pursue research independently from market pressures. Beyond these perceptions and narratives, we highlight the economic dynamics that suture basic research and industry in their promotion of health governance that causes social justice concerns by restricting access to high income and hegemonic types of clients/patients. We clarify that epistemic aspects cannot be disentangled from sociopolitical aspects, especially in the digital age, and that where governments implement and enhance digital health solutions, they also need to plan for consistent social (re)adjustments.

Investigating the influence of energy dynamics on price forecasts in tropical and traditional agricultural futures markets

ABSTRACT This research aims to investigate the intricate dynamics between energy futures prices and both tropical and traditional commodities futures prices, with a particular focus on the critical role of oil futures prices in predicting the trajectory of agricultural futures prices. The study employs the Dynamic Conditional Correlation-Multivariate Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (DCC-MGARCH) model to analyse the interplay among oil and agricultural futures price series over 2008:01–2021:06. Additionally, it incorporates the innovative Spatio-temporal Information Recombination Hypergraph Neural Network (STIR-HGNN) model to highlight the differences in how energy futures prices predict tropical and traditional agricultural futures prices. The findings reveal numerous connections between oil prices and both tropical and traditional agricultural futures prices, underscoring the significant role of oil prices in forecasting agricultural futures price movements. The empirical insights from this study provide valuable guidance for futures market participants, encouraging them to use these findings to refine and optimize their market strategies, thus enhancing their ability to navigate and capitalize on the complexities of these interconnected markets.

Testing bitcoin’s safe-haven property and the correlation between Bitcoin, gold, oil, stock markets, and Google trends

Since its public introduction in 2009, Bitcoin has grown to be the most well-known cryptocurrency worldwide. There is still debate as to whether Bitcoin may be used as a hedge against other assets. The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between Bitcoin and conventional commodity markets such as gold, crude oil, stock markets, and investor interest (quantified via Google Trends). In addition, the paper also tests Bitcoin’s safe haven role compared to other commodity markets. The Vector Autoregression model using daily database collected during the period 2013–2021 is employed to investigate the relationship between Bitcoin and traditional commodity markets. The impulse response function is used to analyze Bitcoin price movements against economic shocks from gold, oil prices, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average. In addition, the value-at-risk (VaR) model is used to test Bitcoin’s safe-haven property compared to other conventional commodity markets. The research results show that Bitcoin has negative impacts on gold, crude oil prices, and the stock market. Besides, Bitcoin responds negatively to a sharp decline in investor interest. Furthermore, the results of the VaR model show that Bitcoin is the second most volatile and risky asset, only after the crude oil market, and much riskier than gold. This result proves that Bitcoin cannot yet be considered a safe-haven instrument. These findings have several implications for investors and policymakers to minimize the risks associated with this cryptocurrency. AcknowledgmentThe authors would like to send their sincere thanks to the Reviewers and Editorial Board of the Journal. Their valuable comments and helpful support helped improve the paper’s quality. No funding was granted for this study.

PSIX-17 Preliminary Assessment of Preweaning Growth Performance of Dexter and Mashona X Dexter Calves

Abstract Non-traditional cattle breeds are often considered by managers for niche beef production and marketing systems. Some of these alternative breeds are small-framed and thus desired by small-farm operators but have received little research attention because they do not fit traditional commodity beef production systems. Very few of these small breeds also offer heat tolerance. This project was designed to evaluate preweaning performance of straightbred (n = 76) and F1 crossbred calves (n = 81) produced by mature Dexter cows across three years and two Tennessee State University research farms. Spring-born calves were sired by Dexter (n = 7; DD) and Mashona bulls (n = 6; MD) in single-sire, natural service breeding groups following 60-d breeding seasons. Breed of sire was balanced across cow age and farm locations. Calves were weighed within 24-h of birth, at 4 months (125 d of age) of age, and at weaning (227 d of age). Calves were not creep-fed and bull calves were not castrated until after weaning. No cases of dystocia were observed as a result of crossbreeding. Calf performance traits were evaluated using MIXED models of SAS. Fixed effects included sire breed, sex, farm location, and the interaction of sire breed and sex. Random effect terms were production year and sire nested within sire breed. For all the traits evaluated, models were consistent in that the sire breed x calf sex interaction was not significant (P > 0.1), whereas sire breed and calf sex were consistently important (P < 0.01) sources of variation. Bull calves had greater weight and ADG values than heifer calves from birth to weaning. Mean body weight was heavier for MD than DD calves at birth (28.4 ± 0.8 vs. 23.9 ± 0.7 kg), at 4 months of age (120.6 ± 9.7 vs. 96.7 ± 9.6 kg), and at weaning (154 ± 8.6 vs. 124.4 ± 8.6 kg). The MD calves had greater ADG than DD calves from birth to 4 months of age (715.8 ± 36.1 vs. 599.1 ± 36 g/d), from 4 months of age to weaning (334 ± 44.3 vs. 256.8 ± 44 g/d), and from birth to weaning (547 ± 35.7 vs. 447.1 ± 35.7 g/d). Mean 205-d adjusted body weight was heavier for MD than DD (140.2 ± 7.6 vs. 114.7 ± 7.6 kg). Preliminary results indicated that crossbreeding with Mashona bulls significantly increased preweaning growth of calves produced by Dexter cows, while the F1 calves maintained small statute. The spring-born MD F1 calves likely benefited from heat tolerance provided by the Mashona influence and heterosis generated by crossbreeding.

PSV-23 Characterization of Katahdin Lamb Carcasses in a Traditional Lamb Marketing Context

Abstract The Katahdin breed has grown in popularity in the US, but it is relatively unknown if their carcasses conform to expectations of the traditional commodity lamb industry. Purebred Katahdin wethers (n = 223) were sourced from the genetic reference flock at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center over two consecutive years. The flock is enrolled in the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP) and estimated breeding values (EBV) were available on standard production traits. Lambs were assigned to one of three groups per year based on body weight (BW) and fed a common finishing diet through harvest at similar end BW (51.3 ± 5.6 kg) but varying age (223.8 ± 32.2 d). Lambs were harvested at a commercial processor, hot carcass weight (HCW) was recorded, dressing percentage (DP) was calculated, and carcasses were chilled for 24 h. Carcasses were then ribbed and 12th rib backfat thickness (BFT), and loin muscle area (LMA) were measured. Traits were analyzed in mixed models with fixed class effects of finishing group (6 levels) and rearing type (single or multiple), a linear covariate of harvest age, and a random effect of sire (n = 16). There were no differences in BW, HCW, BFT, and LMA between rearing types but lambs reared as multiples had greater DP than those reared as singles (P = 0.02; Table). End BW increased while DP decreased with lamb harvest age (P ≤ 0.03). Pearson correlation coefficients were estimated between traits including post-weaning weight (PWWT) NSIP EBV. There was a strong, positive correlation between HCW and BFT (0.52) and HCW and BWT (0.54; P < 0.001). In contrast, HCW was only moderately correlated to LMA (0.35; P < 0.001). The PWWT EBV is the best genetic predictor of post-weaning lamb growth and was moderately correlated with end BW (0.38), HCW (0.35), and LMA (0.35; P < 0.001). Traditional markets prefer carcasses to be 29.5 – 36.3 kg HCW and < 6.4 mm BFT; 91% and 51% of Katahdin carcasses were below the HCW and BFT thresholds, respectively. Katahdins are capable of producing lean carcasses that conform to packer ideals for BF when fed to harvest BW of the present study, which may reduce excess fat trimming during fabrication. However, HCW observed in the present study may suggest greater suitability for non-traditional (i.e., ethnic) markets. Lower correlations between carcass traits in Katahdin compared with past research in Western white-faced lambs may highlight important biological differences in growth and fat deposition among divergent breed types. Crossbreeding Katahdin ewes with terminal sire breeds and within breed selection will improve growth and carcass traits without exceeding HCW thresholds commonly reached in wool sheep but should be considered in tandem with other breeding objectives.

Unveiling commodities-financial markets intersections from a bibliometric perspective

The prominence of commodity markets within the domains of empirical finance and energy economics is well established, largely due to oil's importance and its relationship with other commodities and financial markets. In this study, we present a bibliometric examination of 437 journal articles addressing the phenomenon of commodity connectedness, spanning the period from 1994 to 2022. The research methods include a blend of qualitative and quantitative approaches, incorporating bibliometrics and content analysis. Based on the findings of the analysis, four primary research streams have been identified within the literature concerning commodity connectedness, namely (1) commodity interconnectivity, (2) the relationship between traditional commodities, renewable energy, and cryptocurrencies, (3) the relationship between oil and stock markets, and (4) studies utilizing copula methods to examine the interconnectivity between oil and financial markets. We proposed 15 future research questions for further investigation in the domain of commodity connectedness, including topics such as the impact of the post-COVID era and global uncertainties on commodity markets, how commodities can address the issue of climate change, the exponential growth of cryptocurrencies as a new financial asset, and the impact of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict on commodity and financial markets.

Biodegradable composites based on well-characterized cellulose and poly (butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate)

As a biodegradable and flexible copolymer, poly(butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) is used for packaging. However, high cost and limited properties restrict its applications. Because of the hydrophobic nature of PBAT, low mechanical properties are observed when PBAT and cellulosic fibers, which are hydrophilic, are used in blends. To increase the interfacial adhesion between cellulose and PBAT, γ-(2,3-epoxypropoxy) propytrimethoxysilane (KH560) was used as a reactive compatibilizer to modify cellulose. A one-step method was demonstrated for compounding and subsequent extrusion blowing, which is a simple and environmentally friendly approach to fabricate a series of K-Cellulose/PBAT (KH560-Cellulose/PBAT) composites. The morphology and structure of the cellulose were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry. Meanwhile, thermal analysis of the hybrids showed an improvement of the thermal stability of the composites with increased silanized cellulose content. In addition, the barrier properties of films are measured by water vapor permeability (WVP) and oxygen permeability (OP). Finally, after addition of reactive compatibilizer KH560, there was considerable improvement with increased the cellulose content, as shown through mechanical properties testing. Therefore, the composites prepared with these enhanced properties have great potential as substitutes for traditional commodity polymers.

The Geopolitical Dependence of Hydrogen

Climate change is increasingly causing drastic consequences for humanity both economically and environmentally. Facing these challenges, the world is looking for many alternative solutions in the field of energy, among others. One such solution is hydrogen. The article analyses the geopolitical aspects of hydrogen trade in the context of the global energy transition. Water, an essential component of hydrogen, has become a key element in the drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the search for alternative, sustainable energy sources. The dynamic growth of the hydrogen sector is leading to new centers of geopolitical influence and changing traditional commodity supply chains. Forecasts for future hydrogen trade suggest an increase in the importance of renewable energy sources at the expense of traditional raw materials, which could shape new national and international strategies. The development of energy infrastructure related to the production and distribution of green hydrogen plays a key role. Analysing the map of global hydrogen trade, which indicates an increasing interest in this element as a clean energy source, we can see the growing role of this raw material in the global economy and its potential to revolutionize national and international energy strategies. In conclusion, the article shows that the geopolitical aspects of the hydrogen trade have the potential to significantly affect global politics, economics and energy distribution in the coming years, highlighting the need for appropriate action at the national and international levels. Key words: hydrogen, energy transformation, supply chain, hydrogen production

Classification and Retrieval of Commodity Images Oriented to Internet Marketing

Commodity display images oriented to Internet marketing play an important role in the supply and demand interaction and two-way communication between marketing personnel and consumers. Traditional commodity image classification is mainly conducted manually by the staff of online shopping platforms or the store maintenance staff, which is heavy in workload, high in cost and low in efficiency. To this end, this article studies classification and retrieval of commodity images oriented to Internet marketing. In this study, coarse-grained emotion is taken as priori information, and an image emotion classification network based on joint polarity detection is constructed. This article discusses the association rules between the color and texture of commodity images, the shape, styling features and contained emotion of concrete commodities. Besides, this article puts forwards an emotion-based retrieval method of commodity images oriented to Internet marketing, and presents a concrete train of thought of this method. The experimental result verifies the effectiveness of the classification and retrieval method of commodity images.

Journal of Forest Business Research: an online scientific journal devoted to the science and practice of sustainable business in the forest sector

On behalf of our authors, reviewers, editors, scientific board members, and supporting institutions – we warmly welcome you to the inaugural issue of The Journal of Forest Business Research (JFBR). Establishing a new journal that addresses serious issues in academic publishing requires some explanation and justification. In this editorial feature, we describe the purpose and focus of the JFBR; and discuss the benefits of being a Journal reader; reviewer; and prospective author of scholarly research articles, review articles, and opinion pieces. Our goal is to accelerate scientific and practical discourse around local and global forest business issues by creating a unique platform for exchanging ideas supported by high standards of the peer-review process. Since we committed to doing a lot of hard work to make this Journal a success, we hope that our efforts will contribute to the further development of the bioeconomy based on science-based management and the use of forest resources in meeting global society goals. Our goal for the JFBR is to become the premier applied scientific journal that covers forest investments, finance, and economics. This would be a unique applied forest investment journal in the modern era, drawing from broader approaches such as U.S. journals of applied forestry, European forest economics journals, and classical business management and case study journals. JFBR would be dedicated to the application of forest finance and business management to investments in forests for traditional commodity markets to new emerging objectives such as nature-based solutions, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) components, carbon offsets, or net zero market development. The next section describes why we decided to open a new journal. Then we summarize all the papers included in our first inaugural issue. Finally, we indicate how you can support our efforts.

Plant-Based Innovations for the Transition to Sustainability: A Bibliometric and in-Depth Content Analysis.

Plants maintain the ecological equilibrium of the earth and stabilize the ecosystem. Today, traditional commodities and new value-added markets can be served simultaneously. There is significant biosource and bioprocess innovation for biobased industrial products. Furthermore, plant-based innovation is associated with the transition to sustainability. This study performed a bibliometric and in-depth content analysis to review plant-based innovations in the research field between 1995 and 2022. A set of 313 articles was identified from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Different analytical scientometric tools (topic mapping and overlay visualization networks) were used to analyze 124 articles; the most influential countries, institutions, authors, journals and articles were identified. Through in-depth studies, based on the grounded theory approach, five leading research areas related to plant-based innovation were determined: (1) agricultural/environmental innovation, (2) plant-based food or feed innovation, (3) innovation within the medical/pharmaceutical research area, (4) technology-related innovation and (5) economic/business aspects of plant-based innovations. Future research directions include exploring less examined and new topics, such as the sustainability implications of incorporating various plant-based foods and Industry 4.0 in plant-based innovation, and linking and developing findings from different research areas.

Cultural Mapping in the Digital Economy

The article discusses issues related to the development and prospects of applying the cultural mapping technology in the Russian Federation. This technology, based on the integration of creative industries and advanced information and communication developments, involves the comprehensive identification, inventory and updating of tangible and intangible cultural resources with their subsequent inclusion in strategic plans for territorial development. The relevance of the article is connected with the need to search for new resources to develop regions, and Russia as a whole, in the conditions of global crises and fluctuations in the conjuncture of traditional commodity markets, the importance of identifying promising areas for the country’s economy transformation during the transition to the post-industrial era. The turn to innovative development that accompanies the processes of socio-cultural modernization in Russia is due not only to the level of development of modern technologies in society. First of all, it is associated with the modernization of the cultural sphere, understood as a broad interdepartmental phenomenon and the basis for positive transformations in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The author notes that the further construction of a modern society in the context of the development trends of the world economic and cultural space is impossible in Russian regions without the formation of an infrastructure, the key elements of which are cultural, intellectual and information resources, as well as institutions and advanced sociocultural technologies that ensure their storage, transmission and provision to users.

Research on Consumption Prediction of Daily Necessities Based on Combination Model and Its Influence on Upgrading of Industrial Structure

The development of big data and artificial intelligence ensures the industrial innovation of traditional commodities. Economic transformation and upgrading has become the general trend of social development. Based on the public data of the Rossmann store, a well-known German chain store, and the consumption prediction model of daily necessities based on random forest and GBRT is proposed in this paper. By combining the model to initialize residuals, not only the training speed of the model is effectively improved but also more accurate prediction is obtained. Based on the analysis of the big data, this paper puts forward the influence of daily necessities consumption forecast on the upgrading of industrial structure and constructs a value creation and transmission system for daily necessities, so as to promote the rationalization level of the consumer industrial structure and provide a reference for the upgrading of the same type of commodity industrial structure.

Unraveling hybrid exchange: virtual tipping on live-streaming platforms

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to explore the nature of virtual tipping in live game streaming from the perspective of tippers.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative research involved six naturalistic group interviews with 27 young adult game streaming tippers in China.FindingsThe research revealed a typology of four virtual tipping exchanges – perfunctory exchange, transactional (commodity) exchange, relational (gift) exchange and hybrid exchange. The most notable finding is hybrid exchange, a synergistic hybrid of transaction and gift-giving.Practical implicationsThe authors recommend that both streamers and streaming platforms acknowledge and accommodate both transactional and relational tipping motivations. The authors also recommend platforms to recruit skillful streamers with high emotional intelligence to better convert perfunctory tippers into tippers who tip more generously.Originality/valueThe result of hybrid exchange suggests going beyond the traditional commodity vs gift dichotomy to examine the potential market-gift complementary in a single exchange in the sharing economy.

Generative Logic of Digital Capitalism Based on Artificial Intelligence Technology

In the era of digital capitalism, machines and technology have gradually become the main body that dominates workers. Information technology is actually the digital embodiment of mass machine production. It is with the help of ICT and digital technology that digital capitalism realizes the digital transformation of the way capitalism exists and the proliferation of digital capital. The purpose of this paper is to study the generative logic of digital capitalism based on artificial intelligence technology. Compare the production, circulation, consumption of traditional commodities, and the production of digital capital, explore the nature of digital capitalism and the differentiation of digital capitalism in the era of artificial intelligence, analyze the impact of artificial intelligence on labor polarization, and the results show the high-skilled labor force in the eastern region. The ratio to the medium-skilled labor force is 0.086. Take the M enterprise in capitalism as an example, and study the application of artificial intelligence to the energy and power industry to provide value to customers through new products. The new changes in contemporary artificial intelligence capitalism solve the problems in the operation of the original business model, benefiting both customers and enterprises.

Is a viable hemp industry in Florida’s future?

Disease and foreign competition have made many growers question the viability of traditional commodity crops such as tomatoes, citrus, and avocados. Industrial hemp appears to be an attractive alternative, as the 2018 Farm Bill permitted its production. Florida has followed several other states in approving permits in 2020 to allow production of industrial hemp. Markets for industrial hemp products were promising in the first years of production, but market prices started to decline dramatically in 2020 with many growers unable to sell all their product. In this publication, we examine the hemp value chain with a focus on opportunities in the Florida market. Better coordination between regulators, processors, financial institutions, research and Extension services, and the retail sector to build confidence, harmonize policies, and lower transaction costs would help the industry flourish and ensure growers, consumers, and hemp-related enterprises can benefit from this emerging market.

The Impacts of Current Climate Variability on Coffee Production in the Northern and Southern Highlands of Tanzania

Coffee is the most traded commodity in the world. In Tanzania, Coffee is the second largest traditional commodity. However, several climate change studies have predicted that coffee production will be reduced as a result of climate change. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the impact of current climate change on Tanzania’s Arabica coffee production and determine the most significant climatic variables, which influence coffee production in the respective regions. Global interpolated climatic database (Worldclim dataset) and official historical coffee production data from Tanzania Coffee Board for a period of 40 years (1970-2018) were used. Climatic parameters and coffee production were compared through descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regressions. The Mann-Kendall method was used to detect significant trends in climatic data. The minimum temperature has been increasing at a higher rate than the maximum temperature in the Northern and Southern Highlands zones. A 1 °C increase in minimum temperature (Tmin) during short rains and annual mean temperature (Tmean) resulted in a significant coffee production decrease (-6,041 and -4,450 tons) in Kilimanjaro and Arusha regions respectively. In the Southern Highlands zone coffee production positively correlated with temperature. A significant reduction in coffee production due to a decline in long rains was also observed in the Kilimanjaro region. The warming and drought trends are likely to continue with significant implications on coffee production and this, calls for the development of suitable adaptation strategies to sustain production. Such strategies may include, re-adapting the coffee agronomic practices to climate change, improving water and nutrient use efficiency in coffee trees, and developing genetically improved coffee cultivars that will tolerate the impact of climate change.

Network Testing Utilizing Programmable Network Hardware

QoS requirements on modern network hardware, including switches and routers, demand the ability to conduct precise measurements of the packet processing and forwarding of network elements. This requires tracing packet processing and detecting the loss of packets with high timing accuracy. Current approaches for network testing rely on special and purpose-built devices, which are costly and inflexible as these devices cannot be reconfigured to include new testing or monitoring functionality. In this article, we demonstrate the power behind novel programmable network switches to enable highly accurate and flexible testing and monitoring of network element functionality before and during deployment. While the cost of such switches is comparable to traditional commodity switches, their processing logic can be programmed to realize specific networking functionality. In the context of P4STA, an open source measurement framework previously presented by us, we show how the programmability of modern network switches helps to perform highly accurate and purpose-independent testing of network elements. In addition, we also highlight its ability to support reconfigurable monitoring tasks within the network after deployment.

Risk‐neutral skewness and commodity futures pricing

AbstractThis paper investigates the predictive content of risk‐neutral skewness (RNSK) for the dynamics of commodity futures prices. A trading strategy that buys futures with positive RNSK and sells futures with negative RNSK generates a significant excess return. Unlike traditional commodity risk factors' signals, the positive return generated from the RNSK signal is more pronounced in the contango phase. After controlling traditional commodity risk factors, the RNSK signal exhibits a more stable and prolonged predictive ability. The directional‐learning hypothesis explains the RNSK impact when commodity futures show higher idiosyncratic risks and illiquidity (positive RNSK) and overpriced (negative RNSK).

Российско-китайская торговля и совместные проекты на Дальнем Востоке России

The article analyzed the dynamics and structure of trade interactions in the traditional commodity niches of the Far East of the Russian Federation in the PRC market in 2020–2021, considering the pandemic of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19). It was established that crisis phenomena did not cause a significant change in the structure of trade in the Russian Far East and China, while its dynamic characteristics in 2020 in general trade and export were preserved positive, and the fall was recorded in imports. But already at the end of 2021, mutual trade showed a significant growth rate – 28,1%. The content of promising projects is given as part of the implementation of the current program for the development of Russian-Chinese cooperation for 2018–2024. The problems of economic interactions of the PRC with the Far East of Russia and the implementation of projects of Russian-Chinese cooperation are also considered. The activation of Russian- Chinese relations in trade and implementation of investment projects could be achieved at the expense of the next. Firstly, in the practical plane it is necessary to scale the mechanisms of economic interactions that have developed and justified themselves for new regions. Secondly, to achieve a general understanding of both opportunities and barriers, risks of implementing joint projects. Thirdly, to continue to improve the business environment of Russian-Chinese cooperation as part of the development of institutional regimes for implementing investment projects and reducing barriers in mutual trade