Olam splits food and commodities units to tap new trends

SINGAPORE (Bloomberg): Olam International Ltd, one of Asia’s biggest agricultural firms, is splitting its food business from the rest of its commodities trading in a move to profit from rapidly shifting consumer tastes.

The reorganization reflects the growing recognition among the world’s biggest agriculture companies of the value of tapping into demand for specialty products from consumers who are becoming increasingly picky about the ingredients and origins of what they eat and the shift in emerging markets toward more protein-based diets.