All articles tagged with #fertilisers
The FAO warns that a prolonged blockage of the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a global food crisis as fertilisers and other key inputs from Gulf producers depend on sea transit through the chokepoint; currently high stocks keep prices from spiking, but a sustained disruption could raise fertiliser and energy costs, push up commodity prices, and hit poorer countries hardest, underscoring the urgency of a ceasefire and resumed shipping.
Europe faces fertiliser and energy-price shocks due to the Iran war and Hormuz disruption, but regenerative farming—using compost, manure, cover crops, and rotational grazing—can maintain yields while drastically cutting synthetic fertiliser and pesticide use. Case studies across Greece, Spain, and the Basque Country show improved soil health and biodiversity, plus on-farm energy and shorter supply chains. Yet adoption remains limited (around 2% fully regenerative; 5–10% transitioning) because of labour intensity, upfront costs, and policy barriers in the CAP; stronger training, funding, and incentives are needed to scale this resilience.
The US–Israel war on Iran has disrupted Hormuz shipping and triggered what the IEA calls the largest energy supply shock in history, sending ripples through the global economy. The fallout includes higher fuel and fertiliser costs, strained supply chains, and price pressures that are already nudging restaurants to cut menus in India, dampening tourism in Thailand, prompting Sri Lankan fuel rationing, lifting jet fuel costs in South Africa, and raising security concerns in Europe, with exporters like Russia potentially benefiting from market volatility.
Blocking the Strait of Hormuz could disrupt not only oil transit but also fertiliser exports from the Gulf, raising prices for urea, DAP and ammonia and feeding into higher food costs globally. With fertiliser a major production input tied to natural gas, energy shocks could amplify farming and processing costs, potentially fueling longer-term food price inflation even if near-term effects are modest; the risk rises if hostilities persist.