Fields of Dreams: The rich history and evolution of the oldest alternative investment
| Jun 22nd, 2010 | Filed under: Institutional Investing, Today's Post | By: Alpha Male |
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By: Ranjan Bhaduri, AllAboutAlpha.com Editorial Board, and Bart Scagnelli, AlphaMetrix Alternative Investment Advisors.
Nine thousand years ago, farmers in the Middle East began to cultivate a primitive ancestor of what we now know as wheat. Similarly, ancient Mayans bred early forms of corn, and several strains of rice developed in ancient China. But the mass production and surpluses of grain that made international trade possible was largely due to the increased concentration of people within small geographic areas, such as cities. Little did they know, the plants that these farmers labored so hard to sew, plow, and harvest would expand and evolve to become one of the planet’s most influential commodities – and a key part of many alternative investment portfolios (largely via futures and other derivatives – see related post).
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