It was the odd uniformity of the suitcase’s contents that tipped off the baggage inspector: six thick, identical rectangles. They could have been books, but then again, they could have been six bundles of cocaine. And in August 2007, security was tight at the airport in Buenos Aires; the country was in the midst of a presidential election. It was worth taking a closer look. The suitcase’s owner, a Venezuelan businessman just in from Caracas, hesitated briefly when asked to open his suspicious luggage. Out tumbled $800,000 in cash. It was, according to U.S. investigators, an illegal campaign contribution from…

Audio available via Marketplace (11:26).

While high consumer prices for fuel and food capture the headlines, the costs of the basic raw materials for construction and industry — from copper wiring to rolled steel and timber — are also at record highs.

This squeezes U.S. firms. But not everyone around the world suffers from high global commodity prices. Some benefit positively — and not just oil sheiks in the Middle East. It may come as a surprise, but Africa has been a winner in the global commodity game.

In fact, high commodity prices are propelling the fastest economic growth sub-Saharan Africa has seen in over three decades…

Audio available via Marketplace (19:14).

Food prices in the U.S. have been rising fast. Growing demand for food products in Asia and unusual global climate patterns are driving the increase. While higher prices put a moderate dent in our wallets, food shortages have much more severe consequences in Africa, the poorest part of the world.

Most African families still rely on farming to make a living, so when the rains fail, their main source of income evaporates. This leaves them dangerously close to the edge of survival and when people have nothing left to lose, desperation can even lead to violence.

Now there’s evidence in…