Barclays faces protests over role in global food crisis | Business | The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/apr/25/barclays-faces-commodity-protests
Barclays will be targeted during its annual meeting on Wednesday by anti-poverty campaigners accusing it of playing a leading role in driving up food prices on global commodities markets.
Barclays Capital, the investment banking arm of the high street bank, is the UK’s biggest player in food commodity trading, and one of the top three banking players globally, according to a new analysis for the World Development Movement.
Along with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, BarCap has pioneered new kinds of financial products that have enabled pension funds and other investors traditionally barred from commodities exchanges to bet on food prices.