How the Iran war threatens global food supply
NPR • • world
Key Points:
- Approximately one-third of global fertilizer shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which has seen a drastic reduction in traffic due to the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, causing fertilizer, oil, and natural gas prices to surge by around 30% in some regions.
- Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, and Iran, are major fertilizer producers and suppliers of raw materials like natural gas, affecting fertilizer production in countries such as India, Pakistan, and Brazil, where some plants have ceased operations.
- Unlike previous disruptions in 2022, the current closure of Gulf exports creates an immediate global fertilizer shortfall with no quick substitutes or strategic stockpiles, severely impacting South Asia, East Africa, and the Middle
