{"url":"https://www.ft.com/content/36343e24-b06f-434d-a7e5-6046e7bcf3df?sharetype=blocked","title":"War in Iran risks global food crisis via fertiliser shortages","domain":"ft.com","imageUrl":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/36926293/pexels-photo-36926293.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940","pexelsSearchTerm":"Strait of Hormuz shipping","category":"World","language":"en","slug":"8f994e71","id":"8f994e71-9e0b-4dc3-8b18-11677a4665c2","description":"War in Iran disrupts Strait of Hormuz, halting fertiliser shipments and driving up global prices.","summary":"## TL;DR\n- War in Iran disrupts Strait of Hormuz, halting fertiliser shipments and driving up global prices.\n- FAO warns fertiliser prices could average **15-20% higher** in first half of **2026** if crisis persists.\n- Poorest countries face hunger or famine risks from lower crop yields and sustained high food costs.\n\n## The story at a glance\nAdam Hanieh argues in the *Financial Times* that the war in Iran threatens a global food crisis by blocking fertiliser exports through the Strait of Hormuz, where Gulf states like **Saudi Arabia**, **Qatar** and the **UAE** supply key inputs such as urea and ammonia. This comes amid recent attacks on Gulf facilities and shipping halts, hitting northern hemisphere planting seasons. The piece appears as a Weekend Essay on **April 18, 2026**, as disruptions enter their second month.\n\n## Key points\n- Gulf region handles nearly **half** of global sulfur trade and a third of fertiliser exports, including **30%** of urea, via Hormuz strait.[[1]](https://www.ft.com/content/36343e24-b06f-434d-a7e5-6046e7bcf3df)[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis)\n- Production halted at plants in Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iran; Middle East urea prices up **19-70%** recently.\n- FAO chief economist Maximo Torero projects global fertiliser prices **15-20%** above normal through mid-**2026** if blockade continues, plus fuel cost shocks.[[3]](https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/fao-chief-economist-warns-of-severe-global-food-security-risks-from-disruption-to-strait-of-hormuz-trade-corridor/en)\n- Fertiliser makes up **15-20%** of crop production costs; shortages could cut yields in wheat, corn and rice, raising food prices.\n- Asia, Africa and Latin America most exposed as major importers; US and Europe face higher input costs too.\n- Hanieh urges immediate aid and policy action to protect vulnerable farmers from long-term effects.\n\n## Details and context\nThe war has closed the Strait of Hormuz to most commercial traffic since late February **2026**, choking **20-30%** of traded fertilisers alongside oil and gas. Gulf producers drew investment over two decades due to cheap natural gas for nitrogen fertilisers like urea and ammonia. Attacks on sites like Qatar's Ras Laffan refinery worsened shortages.\n\nPoorer nations in the global south, already strained by prior shocks like the Ukraine war, risk the worst outcomes as spring planting nears without affordable inputs. Even if shipping resumes soon, FAO says price recovery will be slow and uneven due to inelastic markets. Hanieh highlights Gulf states' overlooked centrality in food commodity chains beyond oil.\n\n## Key quotes\n> \"Hunger and even famine are foreseeable consequences of the war on Iran. Now the world must act to shield the poorest from effects that will continue long after the fighting stops.\"[[1]](https://www.ft.com/content/36343e24-b06f-434d-a7e5-6046e7bcf3df)\n\n– Adam Hanieh, director of the SOAS Middle East Institute\n\n## Why it matters\nThe stakes involve global food security, with potential yield drops amplifying inflation and instability in import-dependent regions. Farmers worldwide face **15-20%** higher costs now, passing through to consumers via pricier staples; investors in agribusiness and commodities should note prolonged volatility. Watch Hormuz shipping resumption, FAO updates on prices and northern hemisphere harvest reports, though full impacts may not show until late **2026**.","hashtags":["#food","#crisis","#fertiliser","#war","#iran","#gulf"],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.ft.com/content/36343e24-b06f-434d-a7e5-6046e7bcf3df?sharetype=blocked","title":"Original article"},{"url":"https://www.ft.com/content/36343e24-b06f-434d-a7e5-6046e7bcf3df","title":""},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis","title":""},{"url":"https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/fao-chief-economist-warns-of-severe-global-food-security-risks-from-disruption-to-strait-of-hormuz-trade-corridor/en","title":""}],"viewCount":2,"publishedAt":"2026-04-18T15:07:24.435Z","createdAt":"2026-04-18T15:07:24.435Z","articlePublishedAt":"2026-04-18T00:00:00.000Z"}