Today, host Paul Chapman is joined by the award-winning author Mark Kurlansky, whose books such as The Big Oyster, Paper, Salt and Cod explore how commodities have shaped the course of human history, driving innovation, cooperation, and also conflict.
In this conversation, Mark shares his views on how his books resonate with today’s global landscape, offering his perspectives on the history and future of trade, the growing challenges to free trade, and his forthcoming projects exploring the deep connections between commodities, culture, and human progress.
Read below for our key talent impacts from this episode.
Key Talent Impacts
Are Global Trade Disruptions Demanding More Adaptive Talent?
The conversation highlights how disrupted trade flows and rising tariffs are reshaping global commodity dynamics. For energy and commodities businesses, this creates a pressing need for leaders with geopolitical literacy, supply chain agility, and risk management expertise. The ability to navigate uncertainty and rebuild trust across borders will define success as markets swing between free trade and protectionism.
Is the Energy Transition Creating Demand for Cross-Disciplinary Talent?
As fossil fuels decline and renewables dominate the energy trade, organisations will need talent capable of bridging technology, policy, and commercial strategy. The energy transition is reframing energy as a technology-driven, not resource-driven, industry. This demands professionals who understand both commodity markets and clean-tech innovation, from solar and wind deployment to battery storage and grid digitalisation.
Is Technology Literacy Now a Core Capability in Commodities?
Drawing parallels between paper as a transformative technology and today’s rise of AI, the discussion underscores that innovation succeeds when it meets real human and market needs. For the commodities and energy workforce, this means cultivating digital literacy, data interpretation, and AI fluency. Talent strategies must evolve to integrate automation, analytics, and generative AI tools into traditional trading, logistics, and operations environments.
Are Sustainability and Resource Stewardship Redefining Leadership?
The debate around fisheries, climate change, and resource depletion reflects a wider need for environmentally conscious leadership. Commodity and energy firms must now attract leaders who can balance profitability with planetary stewardship, integrating ESG priorities, biodiversity protection, and carbon transition into strategic decision-making. The future workforce must blend technical acumen with ethical and ecological awareness.
Is Human Adaptability the True Competitive Advantage in a Changing World?
Echoing the historic role of commodities in connecting nations, the conversation reaffirms that global cooperation and human adaptability remain central to progress. In an era of technological acceleration and shifting energy geopolitics, talent that can collaborate across cultures, sectors, and systems will be indispensable. The most successful organisations will be those that invest in diverse, curious, and resilient teams capable of thriving through transformation.
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HC Commodities Podcast Briefing
Edited highlights and themes from the podcast episode.
How have commodities shaped global history and trade?
Commodities have been the foundation of global trade and economic development. Mark Kurlansky explains how essential resources such as salt, cod, and paper have influenced migration, city formation, and global cooperation. Long before industrialisation, commodity trade defined political power, connecting nations through the exchange of vital goods and setting the stage for today’s interconnected markets.
Why does free trade remain critical to global stability?
Kurlansky argues that free trade underpins international cooperation, while restrictions and tariffs disrupt balance. Historical examples—from salt routes to the cod wars—show that when trade barriers rise, tension and conflict follow. In today’s world of shifting alliances and trade realignments, the stability of commodity supply chains remains a key factor in global peace and prosperity.
What are the real costs of tariffs and protectionism?
Tariffs, Kurlansky warns, are effectively hidden taxes that raise consumer costs, reduce efficiency, and weaken trust between trading partners. Current trade policies may have long-term consequences for commodity producers and consumers alike, amplifying uncertainty across global markets.
How is technology, and especially AI, reshaping commodity markets?
Kurlansky draws parallels between historical innovations such as paper and today’s artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. Like earlier technologies, AI will expand rather than replace human capability. Its value lies in solving practical challenges across energy, trade, and commodities—not in disruption for its own sake.
What’s next for global resources and sustainability?
Kurlansky’s upcoming book on lobsters explores how climate change and ocean warming are transforming one of North America’s most valuable fisheries. It reflects a broader shift: as ecosystems evolve, the global commodities sector must adapt through sustainable trade, innovation, and environmental stewardship.