G7 Agriculture Ministers Seek Joint Response to Middle East War Disrupting Fertilizer Supply
Alina Collins
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has blocked 30% of global urea exports; French nitrogen fertilizer prices are up 30% since February. G7 agriculture ministers met Monday to coordinate — but no concrete plan has emerged.
What happened?
The Middle East war has shut the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off 30% of the world's urea exports.
This means → fertilizer shipped from the Middle East via the Persian Gulf simply cannot get out right now.
French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard said nitrogen fertilizer prices in France have risen 30% since February: "Our farmers cannot bear this cost alone."
Why fertilizer — not oil — first?
Urea — the most widely used raw material for nitrogen fertilizer — is heavily dependent on Middle Eastern exports. One strait closure wipes out nearly a third of global supply.
In plain terms = oil has strategic reserves and alternative shipping routes. Fertilizer does not have that kind of slack — and farmers cannot wait through planting season.
The price has already moved: a 30% jump in just over two months shows the market is already pricing in shortage.
What is the G7 planning to do?
Agriculture ministers from France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US met Monday to discuss joint measures to protect farmers.
The meeting was held one week before the G7 leaders' summit, scheduled for next week in Évian, France.
France's official statement, however, disclosed no specific action plan. This signals that detailed negotiations may still be underway — or that disagreements remain unresolved.
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