In the paper an attempt is made to analyse the impact of the involvement of financial investors on primary commodity prices in the international market. This phenomenon has been identified as a relatively new yet important attribute of the contemporary world economy. The activity of financial investors has affected the raw materials markets in a way that makes them resemble financial markets. As a consequence, the global financial crisis has been reflected not only in price drops for financial assets (shares, real estate) but also in a slump in the prices of raw materials and food in the international market.

The involvement of financial investors in commodity markets has been an important phenomenon observed in the last decade as a determinant of the tendencies in the world commodity prices. In the post-crisis period (since 2009) this involvement has both intensified and become more diverse thus changing the structure of the commodity assets under management.

The paper presents the direction of the mainstream economics paradigm shift and the evidence supporting the inadequacy of its several foundations. The author puts emphasis in particular on the aspects of financialisation in international markets and its impact on the current economic life. International commodity markets provide a good reflection of the effects of financialisation. Current price movements in these markets are determined to a large extent by the engagement of financial investors, which has serious implications to the practical aspect of the economy and contributes to the changes in the nature of several basic economic categories. These markets can be, therefore, considered a certain detailed case study illustrating the general theoretical problems analysed in the paper (directions of evolution of the current economic paradigm).

Elżbieta Czarny, Paweł Folfas: Zmiany wewnętrznej orientacji handlowej azjatyckich ugrupowań integracyjnych jako miary ich otwarcia na współpracę regionalną i globalną (analiza porównawcza