Africa is facing a chilling new threat as ongoing conflict in the Arab world drastically disrupts vital supply chains, leaving countries across the continent bracing for severe economic fallout. This isn’t just about oil; we’re talking about crucial fertilizer imports that many African nations depend on heavily, and the ripple effects are already causing serious concern for food production and the cost of living.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane, has been seeing major disruptions since the US–Israel war on Iran began. This hasn’t just impacted oil and gas; what’s also affected is fertilizer, which is produced in huge quantities in the Gulf region. A whopping one-third of all seaborne trade in fertilizer, which is absolutely essential for improving agricultural productivity, travels through that strait.
