Global food supplies at risk due to persistent Strait of Hormuz disruptions

Disruption in Strait of Hormuz Threatens Global Food Supply

A prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has raised concerns about its impact on global food production and prices. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that a disruption to sea passage through the strait could lead to higher commodity prices and food inflation.

According to FAO officials, nearly half of the world’s traded urea, a key fertilizer, is exported from Gulf countries via the Strait of Hormuz. This makes global agriculture highly vulnerable to any disruptions in the waterway. The current blockade has already forced fertiliser plants in the region to shut or cut their output due to reduced gas supplies.

FAO chief economist Maximo Torero stated that existing stocks are currently absorbing the shock, but if traffic through the strait does not resume, it could lead to higher commodity and retail prices later this year and into 2027. The FAO estimates that exports of key agrifood inputs rely on sea passage through the Strait of Hormuz for 20-45% of their volume.

Torero emphasized that the situation is critical, with poorer countries being most exposed due to planting calendars that can quickly translate into lower output, higher inflation, and slower global growth. Iranian officials have brought traffic through the strait to a near-total halt in response to attacks from the United States and Israel, which launched a war on Tehran on February 28.

US President Donald Trump has imposed a naval blockade on the strait, with the US military stating that it will block all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports. Negotiations between Iranian and US representatives have been ongoing, but no agreement has been reached yet.

Source: Al Jazeera