Despite technological prowess and economic growth, the fact that world hunger and wheat shortages are still a major concern today is down to the combined effect of market speculation and grain geopolitics.

To gain an insight into this phenomenon, Alessandro Stanziani traces the origins of the global wheat economy from the mid 17th century onwards and examines the profound changes it has undergone to date. Identifying long-term trends, he reinterprets global history through the lens of exporting nations’ expansionist ambitions, industrialization, changes in harvesting techniques, the organization of grain markets and global speculative deregulation. His analysis sheds light on the spiral of inequalities and geopolitical tensions that characterize our times.