# Wheat

A hardy grass grown almost everywhere, whose gluten makes bread possible and whose trade feeds import-dependent North Africa and Asia.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wheat/

Grains · No. 86

- Not on a critical list
- HHI 777 · unconcentrated
 Grains · Foundation · Matter

Wheat was the first crop ever traded on futures, and a Russian drought in 2010 more than doubled its price.

Chart: Illustration: Wheat

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Wheat was first farmed in the Fertile Crescent over 10,000 years ago. Today about three-quarters of US wheat is winter wheat, dormant under snow until spring.

##### Three things to know

1. Wheat is the most evenly spread big grain, with an HHI of 777 in 2024 and China's 17.6% the largest share.
2. Between June 2010 and February 2011, wheat prices more than doubled after Russia's drought and export ban.
3. Protein and gluten strength decide whether a wheat becomes bread, noodles, biscuits or pasta.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Sowing**Winter wheat in autumn, spring wheat later
2. 2 **Harvest**Cut and graded by class and protein
3. 3 **Elevators**Stored in country and port elevators
4. 4 **Shipping**Bulk vessel to importing country
5. 5 **Milling**Ground to flour, bran goes to feed
6. 6 **Food**Bread, noodles, pasta and biscuits
 Covered in [What makes something a commodityCommodities](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/commodities/what-is-a-commodity/)[From ground to marketCommodities](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/commodities/from-ground-to-market/)[Supply, demand and the cost curveCommodities](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/commodities/supply-demand-costs/)[Reserves, stocks and depletionCommodities](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/commodities/reserves-stocks-depletion/)[Prices and cyclesCommodities](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/commodities/prices-and-cycles/)[How commodities tradeCommodities](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/commodities/how-commodities-trade/)and 7 more

##### Go deeper pick a tab to open it in full

## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wheat/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wheat/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wheat/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wheat/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wheat/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wheat/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wheat/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wheat/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wheat/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wheat/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wheat/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wheat/links/index.md)