Comment Text:
Implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act should be done as soon as possible, especially reforms aimed at limiting excessive speculation in food and energy commodities.
Today’s highly volatile commodity prices are leading to increased hunger and political unrest throughout the world, and dozens of studies clearly show that excessive speculation is partially responsible.
I urge the Commission to implement the proposed rules regarding aggregate speculative position limits to prevent excessive speculation. At this time of fragile economic recovery, we cannot allow speculators to unduly affect our food and energy prices.
Congress called for exemptions from these limits for bona fide hedgers. I ask that the Commission define that term in the strictest sense possible, limiting exemptions to businesses that deal in physical commodities and use markets to hedge commercial risk in those commodities. Banks, hedge funds, private equity and all passive investors in commodities should not be deemed as bona fide hedgers. Institutions hedging price directional bets such as commodity index swaps, Exchange Traded Funds and Exchange Traded Notes also should not be considered as bona fide hedgers.
Thank you for your consideration.
Alan Forsberg
Boulder, CO, USA
