Grain is the oldest category of commodities traded in current financial markets and includes cereals such as soybeans, wheat, corn, rice or oats, among others. The fluctuations in its price depend largely on the climate and consumption in different countries.

Corn is a species of grass plant native to Mesoamerica. Its female infructescence is called cob, corn or corn and edible grains grow there. Its domestication began approximately twelve thousand years ago in the neovolcanic axis of Mexico, and it was introduced to Europe in the 16th century. It is currently the cereal with the highest production volume worldwide followed by wheat and rice.

Rice is the seed of the plant Oryza sativa (Asian rice or simply rice) or Oryza glaberrima (African rice). It is a cereal considered a staple food in many cuisines around the world. Rice is the second most produced cereal in the world (741.5 million tons), behind corn (1 billion tons) and ahead of wheat (713 million tons). Because corn is produced for many other purposes apart from human consumption, it can be said that rice is the most important cereal in human nutrition and that it contributes very effectively to the caloric intake of the current human diet; It is the source of a fifth of the calories consumed in the world. Since 2008, rationing has been carried out in some countries due to the shortage of rice. In countries like Bangladesh and Cambodia it can represent almost three quarters of the population's diet. Many hectares are dedicated to rice cultivation in the world. It is known that 95% of this crop extends between the parallels 53º, north latitude, and 35º, south latitude. The traditional method of rice cultivation is flooding the fields, during or after planting the seedlings. This simple method requires careful planning, but it reduces the growth of less robust weeds that do not grow when submerged and also prevents infestations. Although flooding is not mandatory for rice cultivation, all other irrigation methods require greater efforts in controlling weeds and other pests during growing periods and a different approach to soil fertilization.

Rice, which is a monocotyledonous plant, is normally grown as an annual plant, although in tropical areas it can survive as a perennial plant and can produce a crop from shoots for up to 30 years. Rice cultivation is well adapted to countries and regions with low labor costs and high rainfall, since it is a crop with high requirements for both labor and water. Although its ancestral species are native to Asia and certain parts of Africa, centuries of trade and export have made it common in many cultures around the world.