End of commodity super-cycle?

We all know that demand for commodities is cyclical. For about 200 hundred years, commodities have followed a broad pattern. They tend to rise for about a decade followed by two decades of decline. If this pattern is any indication, it is most likely that the commodity super-cycle has come to its end. The commodity super-cycle of the last decade was heralded by the massive investment-driven growth of China. The dragon nation's colossal appetite had blown commodity prices off the roof. But the world economy has gone through a sea of change over the last few years. The developed economies are gripped with problems of high sovereign debt and slowing economic growth. In recent months, China is also showing clear sign s of cooling. Its commodity-intensive growth phase is nearing its end.

Does this mean that we're gearing towards two decades of commodity decline? This is impossible to predict. But the decline seems certain nonetheless. Commodity-rich economies such as Russia, Australia and Brazil may not be able to enjoy the kind of windfall gains they did at the height of the commodity boom. But lower commodity prices would certainly benefit an economy like India, which has been enduring high inflation for quite some time.