Speculators blamed for global food price spikes, sparking policy changes.
Agricultural commodity prices spiked between 2006 and 2011, causing concerns for farmers and food producers. Some blame speculators like hedge funds for driving up prices through futures contracts. These investments were seen as low risk until prices shot up in 2008. Governments and international agencies are now working on policies to regulate these speculators and bring prices down by 2012.