Just about every product that you consume would likely cost dramatically more without the commodities futures markets.
Because of the intrinsic risks associated to being in business, lacking the ability to shift risk, a manufacturer/producer of goods or services would be forced to charge higher prices, and the consumer would have to pay those higher prices.
This shifting of risk to someone willing to accept it is called hedging.
Manufacturers could effectively lock in a sales price by going short an equivalent amount of goods with futures contracts.
If a mining company knew that they were going to sell 1000 ounces of gold in several months, they could protect themselves for a future price decline by going short 10 gold futures contracts today.
If the price of gold fell by $30 in the following months, they would receive that much less in the cash marketplace for their gold, but earn that much