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Higher food prices and volatility in commodity markets are here to stay, according to a new report by the OECD and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

The outlook for the global steel industry is promising, with global demand forecast to increase by an annual 6% in both 2011 and 2012, according to industry and government officials at the OECD’s Steel Committee meeting in Paris on 12-13 May 2011. But downside risks remain, including further rises in steel raw material prices, continuing sluggish growth in advanced economies and high oil prices.

Booming silver investment was the primary source of the astounding 78 percent intra-year increase in silver prices in 2010. A sturdy rebound in total fabrication demand, led by the industrial sector, was also significant, according to World Silver Survey 2011, released by the Silver Institute.