Soft commodity Soft commodity Soft commodities, or softs, are commodities such as coffee, cocoa, sugar, corn, wheat, soybean, fruit and livestock. The term generally refers to commodities that are grown, rather than mined; the latter (such as oil, copper and gold) are known as hard commodities. Soft commodities play a major part in the futures market. They are used by farmers wishing to lock-in the future prices of their crops, by commercial purchasers of the products, and by speculative investors seeking a profit. Sometimes the term "soft" is restricted to commodities which are identified as primarily tropical, such as coffee, cocoa, sugar,
Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood refers to a Roman Catholic archconfraternity, associated with confraternities which make it their special object to venerate the Blood of Christ. They first arose in Spain. In the life of the Carmelite lay brother Francis of the Infant Jesus (d. 1601), mention is made of such a confraternity as existing in Valencia. It was said of the Carmelite Anna of St. Augustine (d. 1624), that "she received with hospitality those who went about collecting alms for the confraternities of the Precious Blood erected in many places". Ravenna, Italy,