UN official warns of looming food crisis as Hormuz fertiliser plan stalls

Without a quick deal to move fertiliser through the strait, agricultural productivity would ‘significantly drop’.

A farmer spreads fertiliser on a paddy field in Karnal, in the northern state of Haryana, India, on June 17, 2026 [Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters]

A senior United Nations official has warned that parts of Asia and Africa could face a food security crisis unless Iran and the United States quickly agree on a UN-backed plan to move fertiliser through the embattled Strait of Hormuz.

UN ⁠Under-Secretary-General Jorge Moreira da Silva said on Wednesday that it was “absolutely critical” that the two countries agree to the proposal within weeks as planting season approaches. It calls for a UN-staffed coordination centre in Oman to help register vessels and oversee their safe passage in the waterway, through which a large portion of key global fertiliser inputs traditionally flow.

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“If we miss that planting season, the productivity of agriculture would significantly drop and the impact on prices will significantly increase,” Moreira da Silva told Reuters on the sidelines of International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in Bangkok, Thailand.

Farmers operate strict crop calendars, and even slight delays could severely affect yield.

‘Negligible’ fertiliser shipments

Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran, with Iran targeting vessels in the strait and the US and Iran exchanging fire in and around the waterway.

The disruption has hit global supplies of urea, the world’s most widely used nitrogen fertiliser, as well as seaborne sulphur, a key input. Before the war, roughly a third of global urea shipments and nearly half of seaborne sulphur passed through the strait.

Although some ships have been able to sail through amid the crisis, fertiliser products have made up a “very negligible” share of moving cargo, according to the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute.

Moreira da Silva said the UN-backed fertiliser mechanism, drawn up in March, could be activated within seven to 10 days if both Iran and the US agree.

Under the plan, UN monitors would work alongside local authorities at Gulf ports to verify cargo loading. Ships would be tracked during transit, and additional inspections could ⁠be carried out if countries raised concerns about a vessel or its cargo, said Moreira da Silva. He did not say why the US and Iran have not yet agreed.

The passage of only five vessels per day through the Strait of Hormuz could keep fertiliser supplies flowing to countries in critical need, he added.

The UN mechanism could work alongside negotiations for a “comprehensive deal” to restore freedom of navigation in the strait, Moreira da Silva said.

Iran and the US have exchanged proposals through intermediaries since a June interim ceasefire collapsed . Efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz have stalled over Tehran’s conditions and Washington’s insistence on addressing Iran’s nuclear programme from the outset.

“What we are telling them is, while you continue your discussions towards a comprehensive deal, let us work, let us do our job,” said Moreira da Silva.

His plea comes amid growing concern that fertiliser shortages could hit global food supplies .

In May, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization warned that fertiliser scarcity could tighten food supplies from late 2026 into 2027, and would likely hit countries facing climate or other crises much harder.

In South Asia, where most rely on imported fertiliser, farmers are already struggling because of soaring costs and fertiliser scarcity . On Wednesday, farmers in Spain took to the streets to protest rising production costs amid high oil and fertiliser prices.

如果不能尽快达成协议，让化肥能够通过海峡运输，农业生产力将会“大幅下降”。

2026年6月17日，在印度北部哈里亚纳邦卡纳尔，一名农民在稻田里施肥。[Bhawika Chhabra/路透社]

一位联合国高级官员警告说，除非伊朗和美国迅速就一项由联合国支持的、通过饱受争议的霍尔木兹海峡运输化肥的计划达成一致，否则亚洲和非洲部分地区可能面临粮食安全危机。

联合国副秘书长豪尔赫·莫雷拉·达席尔瓦周三表示，随着播种季节临近，两国必须在几周内就该提案达成一致，这一点“至关重要”。该提案呼吁在阿曼设立一个由联合国人员组成的协调中心，协助船舶登记并监督其在水道中的安全航行。这条水道历来是全球大量重要化肥投入品的运输通道。

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“如果我们错过了播种季节，农业生产力将大幅下降，对价格的影响也将大幅增加，”莫雷拉·达席尔瓦在泰国曼谷举行的国际货币基金组织和世界银行会议间隙告诉路透社。

农民们严格按照作物种植日历进行耕作，即使是轻微的延误也可能严重影响产量。

化肥出货量“微乎其微”

自美以对伊朗发动战争以来，霍尔木兹海峡的交通严重受阻，伊朗袭击了海峡中的船只，而美国和伊朗则在该水道及其周边地区交火。

此次中断影响了全球尿素（世界上使用最广泛的氮肥）和海运硫磺（一种关键投入品）的供应。战前，全球约三分之一的尿素运输和近一半的海运硫磺都经由该海峡。

尽管一些船只在危机期间得以航行，但据总部位于华盛顿的国际粮食政策研究所称，化肥产品在运输货物中所占的比例“非常小”。

莫雷拉·达席尔瓦表示，由联合国支持的化肥供应机制于3月份制定，如果伊朗和美国都同意，该机制可在7到10天内启动。

根据该计划，联合国监督员将与海湾港口的当地政府合作，核实货物装载情况。莫雷拉·达席尔瓦表示，船舶在航行期间将受到跟踪，如果相关国家对船舶或其货物提出质疑，则可能进行额外检查。他没有说明美国和伊朗为何尚未达成一致。

他补充说，每天只有五艘船通过霍尔木兹海峡，就能保证化肥供应持续流向急需的国家。

莫雷拉·达席尔瓦表示，联合国机制可以与谈判相结合，达成一项“全面协议”，以恢复海峡的航行自由。

自6月份临时停火协议破裂以来，伊朗和美国一直通过中间人交换建议。由于德黑兰方面提出的条件以及华盛顿方面坚持从一开始就解决伊朗核问题，重新开放霍尔木兹海峡的努力陷入僵局。

“我们想告诉他们的是，在你们继续就达成全面协议进行磋商的同时，让我们工作，让我们做好我们的工作，”莫雷拉·达席尔瓦说道。

他的呼吁正值人们越来越担心化肥短缺可能会影响全球粮食供应之际。

今年 5 月，联合国粮食及农业组织警告称，化肥短缺可能会从 2026 年底到 2027 年导致粮食供应紧张，并可能对面临气候或其他危机的国家造成更严重的打击。

在南亚，由于大多数农民依赖进口化肥，成本飙升和化肥短缺已经令他们举步维艰。周三，西班牙农民走上街头，抗议高油价和化肥价格导致生产成本上涨。