Not just energy: How the Iran war could trigger a global food crisis The ongoing conflict in Iran has disrupted global oil supplies, but experts warn that the crisis extends beyond energy. A severe shortage of fertiliser, critical for food production, is emerging as a major threat to global food security. The disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil and gas transit route, has already caused oil prices to spike, but the broader impact on fertiliser availability is raising alarms among farmers and analysts worldwide. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, announced by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on March 2, has led to a sharp increase in oil prices, surpassing $100 per barrel. However, the real danger lies in the fertiliser supply chain. Nearly half of the world’s urea, the most commonly used fertiliser, is exported from Gulf countries through this route. Disruptions in gas supplies and shipping have forced fertiliser plants in the Gulf and beyond to reduce or halt production. For example, Qatar’s state-run energy firm, QatarEnergy, shut down its largest urea plant after gas output was cut following an attack on its LNG facilities. India and Bangladesh have also scaled back fertiliser production, exacerbating the global shortage. The US is already facing a 25 percent shortfall in fertiliser supply for this time of year, while urea export prices from the Middle East have surged by 40 percent, reaching over $700 per metric tonne. This marks a 60 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The Gulf region produces 20 percent of the world’s fertiliser, with 46 percent of global urea coming from the area. Qatar’s Qatar Fertiliser Company (QAFCO), the world’s largest urea supplier, alone accounts for 14 percent of global urea production.#strait_of_hormuz #qatar #qatarenergy #iran_islamic_revolutionary_guard_corps #qatar_fertiliser_company_qafc
