国際商品市場に多額の資金が流入するようになった背景には、①2000年以降世界的な低金利が続くなか、運用収益の低迷に苦しむ年金基金やその運用を引き受ける投資銀行等が、よりハイリスクの株式・債券等への投資を増加させる一方で、これら株式・債券等と非相関関係にある商品インデックスを保険と位置づけて投資を行っていること、②米国サブプライム住宅ローン問題以降、世界の資金の流れが、より安全な資産へと変化するなか、中長期的に需給逼迫が持続する可能性が高く、かつ、需要の価格弾力性が低い資源・食料分野が、有望な投資先として注目されていることなどが考えられる。例文帳に追加

There are two major factors underlying the enormous amount of inflow of money into global commodities markets. First, pension funds are suffering from low returns owing to the globally prevalent low interest rate environment that has existed since 2000, which is causing both pension fund administrators and investment bankers managing pension fund assets to increase their investments in higher risk stocks and bonds. In order to offset the risks, such administrators and investment banks are also buying commodity index funds, since they are uncorrelated with stocks and bonds. Second, since the outbreak of the U.S. sub prime loan crisis, there has been a significant shift of global capital toward safer assets, and the unbalanced demand-supply situation is expected to remain. This has caused investors to focus more on the potential of natural resources and food products, which have lower price elasticity of demand. - 経済産業省