Is Commodity Speculation Ethical? (PDF)

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2018 im Fachbereich BWL - Unternehmensethik, Wirtschaftsethik, Note: 1,7, International School Of Management, Standort Frankfurt, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: The aim of the paper is to discuss commodity trading and food speculation based on ethical theories. Since we had demonstrations in the last couple of years like "Occupy Wall Street" and others fight against banks, it is important to explain the different arguments for and against commodity trading. I find many different arguments and theories about the whole subject.

Is the speculation on commodities something which helps people or is it something people have to suffer from? Are banks the reason why people even in the year of 2018 suffer from hunger? In the following I will discuss the reasons for the worldwide hunger problem, I will take a look at commodity trading and how banks work in this sector. Last I will review the situation from an ethical point of view and say if it is ethically correct to trade commodities on stock exchanges. This paper should help to understand the whole discussion and should take a look at different ethical theories.

On the other hand, it is important to see why banks and institutions started with the trading of commodities. First of all the overall volume in this section of the financial market started to grow later than other parts of the industry. When in the late 90s the financial market to grow fast and the money inflow got bigger and bigger the focus of investors wasn't on the commodity market. The development of the commodity market was furthermore just a result of the developments before. Banks argued that they just provided a platform for a new market which also would help the economies and the people in poor countries.