The rise of the ETF industry has democratized commodity investing, making this asset class accessible to more investors than ever before. ETFs offer exposure, both direct and indirect, to almost every commodity imaginable, ranging from popular resources such as metals and grains to obscure commodities like azuki beans and greasy wool. With all the attention paid to gold bullion and crude oil, investors often overlook one of the most important commodities: water.
Unlike most commodities, water has no real substitute, a fact that is raising concern as the world’s population expands more quickly than supplies of fresh, clean water. It is estimated that only 3% of all the water in the world is fresh and of that only 0.3% is above ground in lakes and rivers. With billions depending on the ability to make the most of this limited supply, the few unclaimed water supplies left are becoming increasingly valuable. As concerns about its scarcity in coming decades intensifies, water has the potential to become big business. [click to continue…]
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