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UN PhotoFAO / MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT AGRIFOOD IMPLICATIONS
STORY: FAO / MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT AGRIFOOD IMPLICATIONS
TRT: 3:10
SOURCE: FAO
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT FAO ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 13 MARCH 2026, ROME, ITALY /FILE
FILE - ROME, ITALY
1. Aerial shot, FAO Headquarters
13 MARCH 2026, ROME, ITALY
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO:
“30 to 35 percent of the global urea comes from this region. 20 to 30 percent of the ammonia exports comes from this region, and 30 percent of fertilizer trade goes through the Strait of Hormuz. So this will also put an impact on the prices of fertilizers of urea, especially, which are already increasing more than 20 percent. Why is this important? Because as a key input for the agrifood systems is a key input for the planting system and is a key input that will, of course, affect how much we will plant in the future. So it's not only an impact for today, but could also be an impact, if this continues, for a longer period for tomorrow.”
FILE - ROME, ITALY
3. Aerial shot, FAO Headquarters
13 MARCH 2026, ROME, ITALY
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO:
“So if it [conflict] goes on longer than three months, our expectation is that the impacts will be significantly more serious, not only in terms of prices of commodities, the prices of inputs, of fertilizers and energy, but it will also impact significantly the next planting season, and that will have a longer-term impact. So that's why it's so important not to allow this to continue to escalate an extended duration.”
FILE - ROME, ITALY
5. Aerial shot, FAO Headquarters
13 MARCH 2026, ROME, ITALY
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO:
“Iran was already facing significant challenges on acute food insecurity. Prices were already going up, especially of oilseeds, especially of flour and wheat. This will be exacerbated, of course, because they import part of these commodities and also they import rice, which will impact them even more. So the expectation is that prices in Iran will go higher and that will put more pressure on acute food insecurity.”
FILE - ROME, ITALY
7. Aerial shot, FAO Headquarters
13 MARCH 2026, ROME, ITALY
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO:
“We need to try to figure out the alternative routes and no matter they are not equivalent, but at least some routes that will help us to create some air, space, so that the prices don't move at a faster velocity and keep working in coordination of deployment of reserves of oil like has been done by by the energy agencies in the world, but also try to keep looking at logistics, how we can mobilize food through different routes to the region, which is a food importing region and how we can also monitor markets closely. And that's the role also crucial for our market information system that is hosted here at FAO. The financial support will be important for farmers. And that's where countries will have to put some emphasis on that too, in a temporal basis in the short term, because we hope this will be a short term that they can help if farmers have to buy fertilizers right now because is needed according to the crop calendar.”
FILE – 6-8 JANUARY 2025, SANA’A BASIN, SANHAN DISTRICT, BANI MATAR DISTRICT, YEMEN

9. Close up, farmer harvesting strawberries
10. Med shot, farmer hoeing a field
11. Wide shot, farmer walking in a cultivated field
FILE - 23-28 FEBRUARY 2025, BINAYI TRIVENI RURAL MUNICIPALITY, NEPAL
12. Various shots, women packaging fertilizer
FILE - JUNE 2024, BORAMA DISTRICT, SOMALIA


13. Wide shot, FAO officers in the drought-tolerant seeds project with Amoud University
14. Wide shot, a sorghum plot of the FAO drought-tolerant seeds project

15. Drone shot, plot of the FAO drought-tolerant seeds project with Amoud University
A new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warns that the escalation of conflict in the Persian Gulf has sharply increased risks to global energy, fertilizer, and agrifood systems.
The conflict that erupted in February 2026 has sent shockwaves through global energy and food systems. Fighting has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil, gas and fertilizers. Within days, tanker traffic through the strait collapsed by more than 90 percent, forcing producers to cut exports and pushing global energy prices sharply higher. The crisis is also hitting fertilizer supplies. The Gulf region is a major global exporter, and disruptions are already pushing prices up. With maritime traffic severely disrupted and several production facilities damaged or temporarily closed due to security concerns, an estimated 3–4 million tonnes of fertilizer trade per month have been stalled.
SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO:
“30 to 35 percent of the global urea comes from this region. 20 to 30 percent of the ammonia exports comes from this region, and 30 percent of fertilizer trade goes through the Strait of Hormuz. So this will also put an impact on the prices of fertilizers of urea, especially, which are already increasing more than 20 percent. Why is this important? Because as a key input for the agrifood systems is a key input for the planting system and is a key input that will, of course, affect how much we will plant in the future. So it's not only an impact for today, but could also be an impact, if this continues, for a longer period for tomorrow.”
Higher fertilizer and fuel costs are raising production expenses for farmers and increasing the risk of lower harvests later this year. Import‑dependent regions, especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America, are among the most exposed.
SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO:
“So if it [conflict] goes on longer than three months, our expectation is that the impacts will be significantly more serious, not only in terms of prices of commodities, the prices of inputs, of fertilizers and energy, but it will also impact significantly the next planting season, and that will have a longer-term impact. So that's why it's so important not to allow this to continue to escalate an extended duration.”
The conflict is also deepening food security risks in the Gulf itself, where most countries rely heavily on food imports. Iran is facing particularly severe pressures, with sharp currency depreciation and soaring food prices.
SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO:
“Iran was already facing significant challenges on acute food insecurity. Prices were already going up, especially of oilseeds, especially of flour and wheat. This will be exacerbated, of course, because they import part of these commodities and also they import rice, which will impact them even more. So the expectation is that prices in Iran will go higher and that will put more pressure on acute food insecurity.”
Beyond food and energy, the conflict could also reduce remittances from migrant workers in the Gulf, cutting incomes in several developing countries. FAO report urges coordinated action urgently needed to stabilize markets and keep food moving.
SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO:
“We need to try to figure out the alternative routes and no matter they are not equivalent, but at least some routes that will help us to create some air, space, so that the prices don't move at a faster velocity and keep working in coordination of deployment of reserves of oil like has been done by by the energy agencies in the world, but also try to keep looking at logistics, how we can mobilize food through different routes to the region, which is a food importing region and how we can also monitor markets closely. And that's the role also crucial for our market information system that is hosted here at FAO. The financial support will be important for farmers. And that's where countries will have to put some emphasis on that too, in a temporal basis in the short term, because we hope this will be a short term that they can help if farmers have to buy fertilizers right now because is needed according to the crop calendar.”
Medium-term strategies should prioritize diversification of import sources, regional coordination, and contingency planning, while long-term measures must focus on domestic agricultural expansion, sustainable fertilizer production, renewable energy investments, and structural adjustments to cope with persistent price volatility and biofuel-driven demand shifts. Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz remain the single most effective way to stabilize global energy and food markets, complementing these multi-layered interventions.
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