The Business Magazine - 23.02.2011 | Made in Germany

The price of wheat is rising. Whether due to cold spells in the USA or drought in China, more and more crops are failing, but demand for grain is going up. How does the food industry calculate with these strong fluctuations and the increasing commodities speculations? Rising wheat pricesThe price of wheat is surging. Crop failures, increased demand and financial speculation have all impacted global supplies. The price for a ton of wheat has doubled in the last year. We look at the reasons behind the increase, and how it's affecting foodmakers and consumers in Germany.Report by Kerstin Schweizer. Germany - Europe's economic engineLess than a decade ago, Germany was dubbed the 'sick man of Europe'. Now it is considered Europe's economic engine. Unlike its neighbors, Germany is enjoying strong economic growth. Last year, it expanded by 3.5 percent. And there is plenty of evidence to suggest it will continue to grow in 2011.Report by Grit Hofmann.Studio GuestOur guest in the studio: Thomas Straubhaar, Hamburg Institute of International EconomicsResearch Gate - Facebook for scientists800,000 have already signed up. 2,500 join them every single day. Ijad Madisch is building the world's biggest online network for scientists from his Berlin base. The young German entrepreneur is being funded by venture capital from Silicon Valley. Investors like Accel Partners, which financed Facebook, believe his start-up has a big future.Report by Carmen Meyer.Armenia - Loans for a better futureGetting a loan in Armenia means entering a bureaucratic jungle. But ProCredit Bank is changing that. It is partly funded by Germany's state-owned development bank, KfW Bank. The aim is to give loans to small and medium-size enterprises in Armenia. Businesses like the bakery run by the Schaverdyan family are now benefitting from funds to modernize operations or bring new ideas to life.Report by Linda Vierecke.

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