FAO Chief Warns Hormuz Closure Threatens Global Food Supply
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director General Qu Dongyu delivered the warning while opening the 181st Session of the FAO Council in Rome, framing the strategic waterway's vulnerability as a symptom of deepening fragility within global agrifood systems — particularly regarding energy supplies, fertilizer availability and agricultural production inputs.
"The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is not a regional issue—it is a global food security risk," Qu said, noting that a significant share of global crude oil, liquefied natural gas, and fertilizer exports pass through the strategic waterway.
The FAO chief outlined an immediate set of priorities in response to the threat.
"In the immediate term, we have called for keeping trade open, avoiding export restrictions on all agricultural inputs, protecting humanitarian food corridors, and securing alternative logistics routes," he said.
Qu was careful to distinguish between the nature of the threat and a direct food shortage, characterizing the most pressing danger as a "fertilizer and production shock" — one that could substantially drive up farming costs across Asia, Africa and Latin America, forcing producers into difficult choices over crop output and input use.
The stakes are underscored by the sheer volume of trade that flows through the strait. According to FAO, between 20% and 30% of global fertilizer trade — alongside large consignments of energy commodities and sulfur — transits the waterway, cementing its role as an indispensable artery for worldwide food production.
Qu broadened his warning further, flagging the potential for a compounding crisis later in the year. Climate-driven disruptions, including a possible El Niño event, could intensify existing food insecurity across regions already destabilized by conflict and economic deterioration.
The agency also highlighted active humanitarian operations providing some measure of relief on the ground — including livestock vaccination campaigns in Sudan and emergency feed assistance in Gaza — which FAO said are helping to protect rural livelihoods and support local food production systems amid ongoing instability.
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