Commodities

We support countries to break away from commodity dependence by diversifying their economies and strengthening non-commodity activities.

News

Strengthening resilience in commodity-dependent countries

The Global Commodities Forum 2021 tackles the many facets of commodity dependence and the vulnerabilities of countries whose economies rely on primary goods exports.

14 Sep 2021

Port of Rouen, France. Unloading of cocoa in bulk from Ivory Coast.

More than 100 countries depend on commodity exports

Heavy dependence on commodities has increased globally, leaving about two-thirds of developing countries vulnerable to economic shocks such as sharp commodity price fluctuations.

8 Sep 2021

Economies in Latin America and the Caribbean urged to boost resilience to shocks following commodity price hikes

Between the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and mid-2021, commodity prices increased across the region, with varied impacts on countries.

10 Aug 2021

Building technological capacities can help countries escape commodity dependence

About 64% of developing economies rely on exporting primary goods, and most risk continuing down a path of commodity dependence unless they embrace technology-enabled structural transformation.

7 Jul 2021

Commodities and Development Report

The report provides in-depth analysis of topics of particular interest to commodity dependent developing countries and presents proposals. It sheds light on different issues inherent to the subject.

Published since 2012, the series is intended to support development practitioners, civil society and government partners in their work. These report will also be useful for civil society, researchers and various policymakers.

Commodities at a Glance

Commodities are products stemming from agricultural production or mining production that have not yet been transformed: agricultural products, tropical beverages, energy, minerals, ores and metals.

The series aims to collect, present and disseminate accurate and relevant statistical information linked to international primary commodity markets in a clear, concise and reader-friendly format.

The State of Commodity Dependence

This series provides a bird’s eye view of commodity dependence in the world. It contains 189 individual country profiles, each comprising of 30 indicators under 4 subtitles — mechandise and commodity export dependence, commodity import dependence, key socio-economic indicators, and other structural indicators.

As commodity dependence tends to negatively affect poverty alleviation and food security, a set of indicators is included to help monitor trends in these areas.

World commodity trends and prospects

World Commodity Trends and Prospects

Report on the assessment of commodity trends and prospects, long-term commodity prices and ways to strengthen coordination among international commodities organizations and other relevant international organizations.

The Report is prepared by the secretariat of UNCTAD, for submission to the General Assembly at its annual session.