Experts Warn War in Iran is Driving Up Fertiliser Prices Which is Causing Increases in Food Prices

As the war in Iran continues to disrupt trade through the Strait of Hormuz, Security & Defence PLuS Education Chair Dr Alicia Ellis (Arizona State University) spoke with Al Jazeera about the intersection of agriculture, food systems, and national security.

Ellis explained that fertiliser markets are tightly linked to natural gas production and key shipping routes in the region, and that in agriculture, timing is the decisive factor:

“The closer that supply shocks are to planting season, regardless of whether it’s coming from transportation and distribution or from production, the harder those disruptions are to absorb.”