The tension in the Middle East after the attacks against Iran has skyrocketed the price of oil and put the world’s focus on gasoline. However, some experts warn that the real problem It could be much more serious and go almost unnoticed: the risk of a global food crisis.
One of the most important maritime routes on the planet is not only affecting the transportation of crude oil. A key part of the global trade in fertilizers, essential for modern agriculture, also circulates through this passage. Without them, food production is directly threatened.
“We are facing a food catastrophe and the only thing we talk about is the price of gasoline,” warned food safety expert Michael Werz this week in an interview with the media. Vox.
The situation is especially delicate because fertilizers are highly dependent on fossil fuels. They are not only used as energy, but also as a raw material to produce compounds such as ammonia, essential for the growth of crops. Without this element, the ability to feed the world’s population would be drastically reduced.
The interruption of maritime traffic in the area It is already having effects. Prices of products such as urea have begun to rise at a critical time: the beginning of the planting season in many parts of the world. For farmers, this means higher costs and, predictably, lower harvests in the coming months.
The problem is that, unlike oil, there is no global network prepared to respond to a fertilizer crisis. There are no major strategic reserves or coordinated international mechanisms to guarantee supply. This leaves many countries in a vulnerable position.
The most affected could be those that depend most on imports, such as India or Brazil, as well as several regions in sub-Saharan Africa. In these places, any price rise can quickly translate into food shortages.
In addition, damage to energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf could prolong the crisis beyond the current conflict. Some natural gas export capacity — also key to producing fertilizers — could take years to recover, keeping pressure on the supply chain.
Meanwhile, public attention remains focused on the cost of fuel. But, analysts warn, the deeper impact may be felt later, when foods begin to to become more expensive or scarce.
The crisis has exposed a little visible reality: Much of the global food system depends on fossil fuels. And that dependence, which for decades has allowed billions of people to be fed, has also become a weak point.
Now, with one of its main routes blocked, that balance is shaky. and the consequences they could be felt far beyond the gas stations.
