The reporting and valuation of commodities (agricultural, mineral and energy) is as old as humanity. Concerns over resource scarcity and the accuracy of mineral reporting were described as early as 1798 by Thomas Maltus. In the more recent history of the late 20th and early 21st centuries within the space of mineral commodity valuation, there has been a drive to standardize this in various ways and by various organizations — governments at national and local levels, industry groups, international and regional nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and research organizations.
