From aluminium and platinum to zinc and gold, oil and gas to cocoa and wheat, our lives are full of products derived or made from commodities - the world's natural resources.

We often take them for granted - but at our peril, given the pivotal role these resources play in what we consume and produce. Price volatility, changing patterns of global demand and geopolitical instability regularly expose how unpredictable availability of and trade in commodities can be.

This revised edition offers a concise and indispensable guide to commodities, including the latest trends in consumption, production, trade, markets and prices, as well as invaluable insights into future developments.

Whether as raw materials or financial assets to be traded, commodities matter. This book shows us why.