Chris Barrett

Food, Fuel, and the Cost-of-Living Crisis

Jeff Currie, Gary Shilling, Meghan O'Sullivan, Chris Barrett, Alison Nathan

Global commodity leaders Jeff Curry and Gary Schilling debated the existence of a new supercycle, with Curry predicting a supply-driven price surge due to structural underinvestment while Schilling forecasts falling prices as demand contracts under recessionary pressures. Cornell Professor Chris Barrett and Harvard's Megan O'Sullivan further analyzed how geopolitical conflicts and energy transitions are driving a food crisis and realigning global power dynamics, warning that persistent high costs will fuel instability and mass migration. The discussion concluded that without significant capital expenditure and technological innovation to resolve supply bottlenecks, the world faces a prolonged period of economic volatility and social unrest.