{"id":322497,"date":"2026-04-22T02:12:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T20:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=322497"},"modified":"2026-04-22T02:12:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T20:42:38","slug":"iran-war-could-push-world-right-into-a-food-catastrophe-un-agency-warns-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/22\/iran-war-could-push-world-right-into-a-food-catastrophe-un-agency-warns-national\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran war could push world right into a food \u2018catastrophe,\u2019 UN agency warns – National"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If the Iran war continues unabated, with the Strait of Hormuz blocked to all shipping traffic, the world could possibly be heading towards a \u201cglobal agrifoods catastrophe,\u201d the UN\u2019s Food and Agriculture Organization is warning.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe clock is ticking,\u201d FAO chief economist Maximo Torero said in a recent report.<\/p>\n

Ships carrying critical agricultural supplies must start moving through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible to ward off the risks of a dangerous spike in food price inflation later this yr, the FAO warned.<\/p>\n

If the U.S.-led war in Iran continues, the protracted conflict \u201ccould trigger a cascade of effects much like the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis,\u201d in keeping with the FAO.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re in an input crisis; we don\u2019t need to make it a catastrophe,\u201d said David Laborde, director of FAO\u2019s agrifood economics division.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe difference is dependent upon the actions we take,\u201d Laborde added.<\/p>\n

The \u201cinput crisis\u201d refers, specifically, to the dwindling global supply of fertilizer.<\/p>\n

The war is straining the availability of agricultural inputs, said University of Guelph food economist Mike von Massow.<\/p>\n

\u201cA major volume of fertilizer comes through the Strait of Hormuz to the remaining of the world, particularly nitrogen fertilizer, which is made with natural gas,\u201d von Massow said.<\/p>\n

While estimates differ widely, the FAO says the exports of 20 and 45 per cent of all of the world\u2019s key agrifood inputs depend on sea passage through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n

The FAO said that while global food prices were relatively stable in March due to ample supplies of most food commodities, especially cereals, \u201cpressure is rising in April.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pressure will only intensify if the conflict continues into May, the report warned, as \u201cfarmers will make decisions\u201d on whether to change to a distinct crop or adapt as fertilizer supplies run dry.<\/p>\n

\u201cIdentical to we\u2019re seeing some countries right away having to ration gas since it just isn’t coming through the strait, we are going to see some farmers not have any fertilizer in any respect. Then yields will go down, particularly in developing countries,\u201d von Massow said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThat would mean famine,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tWhy is fertilizer so vital?\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The fertilizer shortage is putting the livelihood of farmers in developing countries \u2014 already troubled by rising temperatures and erratic weather systems \u2014 further in danger, and could lead on to people in all places paying more for food.<\/p>\n

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The poorest farmers within the Northern Hemisphere depend on fertilizer imports from the Gulf, and the shortage comes just as planting season begins, said Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWithin the worst case, this implies lower yields and crop failures next season. In the perfect case, higher input costs can be included in food prices next yr,\u201d Skau said.<\/p>\n

Nitrogen and phosphate \u2014 two major fertilizer nutrients \u2014 are under immediate threat from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n

Supplies of nitrogen, including urea, probably the most widely traded fertilizer that helps plants grow and boosts yields, are the toughest hit due to shipping delays and the soaring price of liquefied natural gas, a necessary ingredient.<\/p>\n

The conflict has restricted about 30 per cent of world urea trade, said Chris Lawson of CRU Group, a London-based commodities consultancy.<\/p>\n

In keeping with a 2022 report,\u00a0two-thirds of the world\u2019s calories come from 4 staple foods<\/a>: wheat, rice, maize and soybeans. No less than 72 per cent of those crops are grown in only five countries: China, america, India, Brazil and Argentina.<\/p>\n

This raises fears of world food insecurity when a vital channel just like the Strait of Hormuz is choked.<\/p>\n

Some food producers may start to limit exports as they struggle to provide enough food for their very own populations, von Massow said.<\/p>\n

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