Why The U.S.-Iran War Is A Threat To The World’s Farmers

TL;DR

The Strait of Hormuz blockade is cutting off global fertilizer supplies just before spring planting, threatening crop yields and pushing food prices higher worldwide.

Key Points

• 1.Roughly one-third of global fertilizer trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively impassable since February 28th, with crews refusing to make the journey over fear of attack.
• 2.About half of global food production depends on synthetic nitrogen fertilizer mainly produced in the Middle East, meaning a prolonged blockade directly shrinks crop yields and raises prices.
• 3.U.S. food inflation could rise approximately 2 percentage points, while South Asia and parts of Africa — far more dependent on imported fertilizers — face even greater risk of shortages.