soft commodities

British  

plural noun

1. Also called: softs.  nonmetal commodities such as cocoa, sugar, and grains, bought and sold on a futures market

---

Example Sentences

Matt Ryan, ICE’s senior director of global soft commodities, says that the swell of interest has him hopeful that there could soon be a much-needed group of young talent headed to the grading room.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Managed futures funds forecast market trends by investing either long or short in futures contracts across a range of asset classes, including metals, soft commodities, foreign exchange, and U.S. bonds.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

As a comparison, the most traded contract among the soft commodities, ICE's raw sugar, had over 435,000 lots in open interest.

From Reuters • Oct. 31, 2023

“Never before have we seen two seasons of Arabica crops being impacted by the drought,” said Judy Ganes, a U.S.-based soft commodities analyst.

From Washington Post • Sep. 24, 2021

Arabica coffee, the variety favored by Starbucks Corp., may be among the best performers in so-called soft commodities, gaining as much as 22 percent to $2.725 a pound, the median of 26 forecasts shows.

From BusinessWeek • Jan. 4, 2012