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Project Syndicate ·Future-gazing

What the Iran War Taught the World About Food Security

by Maximo Torero

Published 2026-06-22 12:47:41+00:00

Can a precise understanding of the soil protect farmers from a conflict thousands of miles away?

0:00 / 7:41 · Narrator Rasalgethi

Context

Published on 22 June 2026, this piece looks past the immediate headlines of the US-Iran memorandum to a quieter, more systemic vulnerability. While the world watches oil prices, the focus here is on the fertilizer and sulfur that move through the Strait of Hormuz—inputs that sustain global food yields. The analysis suggests the recent disruption served as a stress test, revealing an agricultural system with plenty of data but very few safeguards. It asks what it would take to build a genuine buffer before the next inevitable shock arrives.

Show notes

An assessment of global food security vulnerabilities exposed by the disruption of fertilizer and sulfur exports through the Strait of Hormuz. The analysis details the lack of international reserves and proposes a resilience framework centered on strategic stockpiling, soil mapping, and precision nutrient management. It evaluates how diversifying trade corridors and investing in agricultural data can mitigate the long-term economic consequences of geopolitical and energy shocks.

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