UN Warns Millions Face Hunger as Hormuz Closure Drives Food and Fertiliser Costs Higher
Updated
Updated · The Conversation · May 14
UN Warns Millions Face Hunger as Hormuz Closure Drives Food and Fertiliser Costs Higher
9 articles · Updated · The Conversation · May 14
Millions more people could face hunger in coming months unless the Middle East conflict eases, the UN warned, saying the Strait of Hormuz closure is already rippling through global food systems.
Energy prices have jumped, raising the cost of producing and transporting food, while fertiliser prices have also surged because much Gulf output moves through the same waterway.
Food costs are now set to rise worldwide much as they did after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, when governments resorted to costly subsidies for producers and consumers.
Four resilience measures highlighted in the report are green ammonia fertiliser, larger stockpiles of food and farm inputs, diets with more plant proteins, and faster transport electrification instead of crop-based biofuels.
The warning casts the crisis as another sign that concentrated energy and fertiliser supply chains leave consumers exposed to repeated shocks from geopolitics and climate disruption.
As food becomes a weapon of war, how can we redesign global supply chains to avert the next catastrophic hunger crisis?
Beyond the humanitarian disaster, where are the hidden investment opportunities emerging from the global fertilizer and food price shock?
Will 'green' solutions just swap our dependency on oil for a new, critical reliance on rare minerals and technology?
Global Food Security at Risk: The 2026 Strait of Hormuz Blockade and Its Impact on Fertilizer Supply, Prices, and Hunger
Overview
The global crisis began when Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz in response to a US-Israeli military campaign, disrupting global supply chains and cutting off essential goods like fertilizers and food. This prolonged closure has caused severe and lasting impacts on fertilizer supply, prices, and demand worldwide. As a result, farmers everywhere are facing higher energy and input costs, while the prices they receive for their crops have not kept up. These challenges are already leading to economic fallout and food insecurity, especially in vulnerable regions, and threaten to trigger even greater disruptions if the blockade continues.