Originally, a tropical South American plant, there are plenty of different names for the popular oilseed most commonly called groundnut, goober, and peanut. The name peanut then serves as an adjective meaning small or paltry, amongst others. But global production and consumption is not small, and it is getting bigger. It has expanded by 23 percent over the past 10 years with large increases occurring in India and somewhat smaller producer Argentina. Other large producers include the U.S., and the largest producer at over 37 percent of the world’s crop, China.  The consumption of peanut butter in the U.S. rose last year as Americans quarantined at home. Its nutritional value is a real advantage, along with the higher smoke point...

TAGS – China, North America, Macroeconomics