The Chicago Board of Trade is being sued in the US District Court in Chicago for a 1989 decision that forced the owners of large amounts of soybean futures contracts to sell their positions.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Go deeper with GlobalData

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Farmer Harvey Joe Sanner is alleging that the Board knew its order would cause prices to drop, thereby benefiting the trading firm of one of its directors.


At the time, the Board had claimed that its order was aimed at preventing an Italian firm, Ferruzzi Finanziaria SpA, from cornering the market; it said that it had been aggressively buying futures. Sanner, a former president of the now-defunct American Agriculture Movement, also alleges that the Board caved into pressure from food processor Cargill Inc, a large soybean customer which needed a lower price to buy back contracts.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact