Hormuz Strait Volatility and Global Fertilizer Dependencies (warontherocks.com)

• Urea is a critical strategic commodity linked to natural gas.
• Haber-Bosch process makes fertilizer costs sensitive to energy volatility.
• Maritime chokepoints present existential risks to global crop yields.

"The conflict in Iran underscores the vulnerability of the global food supply chain, specifically regarding nitrogen-based fertilizers like urea. Produced via the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process using natural gas, urea is essential for staple grain yields. Instability near the Strait of Hormuz directly threatens the flow of these inputs, exposing a strategic weakness where energy markets dictate agricultural output and prices, endangering food security as regional ceasefires remain fragile."