Iran war fertilizer disruptions threaten global food securityglobal food security, UN warns
Fertilizer shortages stemming from the Iran war are creating urgent concerns for developing countries, according to UN trade officials on Tuesday. Conflict-related disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz have severely constrained shipping of natural gas and fertilizers from Gulf states, threatening agricultural production during the critical spring planting season when farmers typically purchase inputs for the next harvest.
The crisis poses particular risks to the world's least developed economies, which have limited capacity to absorb commodity shocks. While some developing nations may benefit temporarily from higher oil and gas prices, those gains are expected to be short-lived as fertilizer shortages drive up production costs and reduce crop yields, potentially triggering broader food price inflation and deepening hunger in vulnerable regions.
UN Trade Agency Position
Fertilizer shortages from the Iran war represent a pressing concern for developing countries, with timing particularly critical during spring planting season. The least developed economies have the least capacity to absorb these shocks and will feel the effects most strongly, while any short-term gains developing producers see from rising energy prices are likely temporary as agricultural disruptions mount.
Global Agricultural Impact
The conflict has reduced Strait of Hormuz traffic by over 95 percent, disrupting supplies of nitrogen-based fertilizers that depend heavily on natural gas from Gulf states. With fertilizer accounting for up to 25 percent of agricultural production costs and about one quarter of global fertilizer production passing through the strait, rising prices are already spiking and threatening crop yields worldwide.
- The **Haber-Bosch process**, invented in 1910, revolutionized agriculture by synthesizing ammonia from natural gas.
- Qatar ranks as the world's top **urea exporter**, shipping over 5 million tons annually before the conflict.
- **DAP** fertilizer boosts wheat and corn root growth, essential for 70% of global grain production.
US-Iran Ceasefire War
The United States launched military strikes against Iran on June 26, 2026, in response to a drone attack on a commercial cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a "foolish violation" of the 60-day ceasefire agreement signed just days earlier[2][4][14].
26 June, 09:35 PM
US launches strikes against Iran following commercial ship attack26 June, 04:47 PM
Trump calls Iran drone attack on cargo ship a ceasefire violation
