But non-food industrial commodities remain mixed.
In contrast, our index of industrial commodities is down by 3% this year.
Led by industrial commodities, the index has edged up by 2% since mid-March.
Nor is it a big exporter of industrial commodities, as Brazil is.
Fruits and vegetables are now being grown, packaged and shipped like industrial commodities.
In the case of industrial commodities, such as cotton, there are fluctuations in both supply and demand.
Foods now account for 51% of the all-items index, slightly less than before, and industrial commodities 49%.
While the rallies in industrial commodities and gold are expected to continue this year, they may not be so strong.
Industrial commodities have been falling sharply, with one index of such prices at its lowest level since 1986.
Barber, in his recent book "The Third Plate," describes Jones as a savior of traditional wheat in a world that has transformed most crops into bland industrial commodities.
China encourages the import of industrial commodities, such as oil, base metals and even quality fabrics and industrial machinery provided goods made with them are sent abroad.
