Strait of Hormuz Disruption Threatens Global Fertilizer Supply

The de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz has removed a key transit route for roughly half of global fertilizer supplies, prompting warnings of multi-year impacts on food production. Global fertilizer manufacturers have already reduced output after shortages of sulphur, an essential input for many agricultural chemicals.

The shortfall stems directly from the halt in shipments that previously moved through the strait before the Iran war.

Farmers in multiple regions now face the prospect of reduced harvests in the coming seasons because of lower fertilizer availability. Richer economies are considering building national stockpiles, cutting import duties, and expanding domestic production capacity. Poorrer nations have fewer immediate options to offset the shortfall, leaving them more exposed to price spikes and yield declines.

“We have a window to act, but that window is narrowing,” the head of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said. The warning was issued on May 28, 2026, the same day Semafor and Forbes published parallel reports on the fertilizer market disruption.