The Jerusalem Post: APRIL 14, 2026 16:30Updated: APRIL 14, 2026 16:57

The strain on supply chains caused by the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz by both Iran and the United States puts the international community at risk of a global food crisis, the chief economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations warned on Monday.

The closure of the narrow waterway, which normally carries around a fifth of global liquefied natural gas supplies, will have a ripple effect beyond the Middle East, Maximo Torero warned.

“We have 30-35% of the crude oil, which is not moving, 20% of natural gas… and between 20-30% of other fertilizers that are not moving out,” said Torero. “That’s the magnitude of the potential impact.”

David Laborde, director of the Agrifood Economics Division at FAO, warned that numerous vessels were stranded in the Gulf, with shipowners and insurers unwilling to risk their crews and cargo by crossing the strait. Even with a ceasefire, he said, traffic could take weeks to normalize.

“We are going to see the real stop in supply” in the days ahead, Laborde warned.

France and Britain are leading talks later this week to discuss establishing a multinational mission that could involve cooperation to ensure maritime transit, a person familiar with the issue told Reuters.

Global food prices have yet to surge, the economists stressed, though input costs have risen dramatically. The March Food Price Index showed only modest increases, but a prolonged closure of the strait could make prices soar.

“We have enough supplies… and good stocks which allow the agri-food system…to be resilient to this shock,” Torero said, warning that such relief may not last.

Farmers, now facing higher costs and limited access to fertilizers, may shift crop types or reduce inputs, resulting in lower yields in the upcoming harvest season.

“If we don’t have the inputs in the time that is needed… that implies that producers will have to produce with less inputs,” Torero said. “And therefore, they could have lower yields.”