UN launches task force to safeguard fertiliser trade amid Middle East tensions

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has established an interagency task force to ensure the safe passage of fertilisers through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that maritime disruptions could trigger serious humanitarian and agricultural consequences worldwide.

Speaking through his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, Guterres highlighted the urgency of immediate action.

“As the conflict in the Middle East unfolds and threatens to intensify, disruptions in maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz risk creating ripple effects impacting humanitarian needs and agricultural production in the coming months. Immediate action is essential to mitigate these consequences,” AFP reported Dujarric saying.

The newly formed task force will develop and propose technical mechanisms to facilitate fertiliser trade, including the movement of related raw materials, while consulting closely with relevant UN member states.

Representatives from several international agencies will participate in the initiative.

Dujarric noted that the secretary-general had recently held phone discussions with officials from Iran, the United States, Pakistan, Egypt, and Bahrain.

“We have a lot of experience on kind of these types of mechanisms in conflict zones,” he said, citing the agreement that enabled Ukrainian grain to transit the Black Sea for over a year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The timing of the task force’s creation is critical, coinciding with the onset of the planting season in key agricultural regions worldwide, when fertiliser demand is high.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that up to 30 per cent of international fertiliser trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

FAO chief economist Maximo Torero warned of potential consequences if the conflict persists. He suggested that markets could absorb a short-term disruption of a week or two, but “the picture changes” if the crisis extends beyond a month.

 “The medium-term scenario of a three-month blockade will affect all farmers globally,” he said, forecasting a potential decline in wheat, rice, and corn harvests.

The UN task force represents a proactive effort to prevent global food supply shocks and maintain agricultural stability amid escalating geopolitical tensions. - March 28, 2026