The FAO has warned of the risk of a food crisis due to the Strait of Hormuz

This has been reported by Al Jazeera and the FAO.

The FAO noted that the world has not yet entered a food crisis, as existing stocks are currently cushioning the shock. However, in the event of a prolonged blockade of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the consequences for the agricultural sector could become significantly more severe later this year and in 2027.

According to the organisation, between 20% and 45% of key resources for the agri-food sector depend on maritime passage through this strait. This primarily concerns energy sources and fertilisers, which are critical for global agriculture.

The FAO has specifically highlighted the risks to the fertiliser market. Almost half of the world’s trade in urea, the most widely used fertiliser, as well as large volumes of other fertilisers, are exported from the Gulf states via the Strait of Hormuz. Due to disruptions in gas supplies and shipping, some fertiliser plants have already scaled back operations or shut down.

FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero stated that if shipping does not resume, farmers will have to either work with smaller volumes of fertiliser or raise the price of their produce. The organisation emphasises that the most vulnerable in this situation will be poorer countries, where delays in accessing resources could quickly lead to a fall in production, higher inflation and slower economic growth.

An Al Jazeera report notes that Iran has almost completely halted traffic through the strait in response to attacks by the US and Israel, and subsequently the US announced a naval blockade of ships entering or leaving Iranian ports. At the same time, as early as 14 April, Al Jazeera reported that some vessels not bound for Iranian ports were still passing through the strait.

The FAO stresses that the key priority now is to prevent the resource crisis from turning into a full-blown food disaster. The organisation has explicitly stated that “the clock is ticking” and that the resumption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is critically important.

As reported by ThePublic, despite the ban on shipping imposed by Iran and enforced by the Trump administration, on 13 April the monitoring platform Kpler recorded an oil tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

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