Commodity price fluctuations can have a quick and direct impact on prices in shops and at filling stations, yet they often do not register with consumers or receive much press coverage outside of business pages or specialist industry publications. Exceptions to this unwritten rule come when there is a headline-making geopolitical angle, such as when crude oil prices climb in the wake of tensions in the Middle East or when sunflower oil disappeared from shops for a time shortly after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the world’s biggest supplier. Shoppers are then typically made more aware of the price swings in the ... (full story)