An unholy combination of droughts and floods this year threaten food production and prices. Corn, wheat and a wide variety of agricultural commodities for human and animal nutrition are the goods that Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has traded in for over a century. More recently, it has also become involved in the production of ethanol and biofuels to reduce the developed world’s reliance on petrol and diesel.

Raw materials, such as soybeans, are also processed into flavours, colours and plant-based proteins or health ingredients, such as probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids, for other food retailers. ADM is not a household name, because it sells its soft commodities to other businesses, rather than consumers, but it is one of the biggest food and drink companies on this planet with a stock market value of $39 billion (£29 billion).