What are the significance of osmosis to food preservation methods such as salting and drying?

Answer 1

Salting, sugar-curing, &c. apply osmosis in that both of these compounds are hygroscopic and thus draw water out of the food to be preserved over the semi-permeable surface of the food, from one solution into another, thus making the environment inhospitable for most bacteria and mold.

Simple air drying works in the same way, but osmosis is not a factor; evaporation is.