CORMEC (Commodity risk management expertise center)

Commodity risk management expertise partner The increased volatility in commodities increases the volatility in the profit margin of firms, thereby increasing the cost of capital, and as a result increasing firm value and providing the firm with the capacity to innovate. As a result, commodity risk management has become a prominent strategy along with innovation and market orientation, as it reduces the risk-adjusted cost of capital and hence contributes to shareholder value. Therefore, firms face the challenge to identify the effectiveness of risk management strategies and instruments, how to implement such a strategy and effectively execute such a strategy (for example taking optimal hedging positions in commodity futures and options markets or having an effective product development/marketing strategy). CORMEC will develop into an eco-system with both a highly innovative character in (price) risk management research and a prime environment in which these instruments and strategies can be developed, applied and allowed to flourish. Crucial to this eco-system is a synergy with large corporations, innovative SMEs, government and international knowledge institutes in the field of price risk management enabled by the development of risk management instruments and strategies. CORMEC is affiliated with Wageningen University (the Marketing and Consumer Behaviour Group) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Office for Futures & Options Research, Marketing & Decision Sciences Group) on topics of management of market risk in the agribusiness sector.