Salt was a highly-valued commodity for its many uses. At one point, it was so valued that it was even used as currency— ‘salary’ comes from a latin word that meant “salt money, or money used to purchase salt. People fought over the control of salt resources, and territorial disputes were common because of its value.
But refrigeration reduced the need for salt as a preservative. Advancements in technology allowed salt production to occur on a larger scale, making it more abundant and less valued. Global trading enabled salt to become widely distributed and more accessible.
Salt is still valued today. Its uses hasn’t changed, but its status has. Like salt, we can expect this process to repeat with other commodities we value today.
If it happened before, it will likely happen again.
Here’s my inspiration for the day.