Director-General QU Dongyu addresses the Ministerial Meeting of the MED9++ Countries and calls for coordinated action to address disruptions threatening food security

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, emphasized today that the global fertilizer scarcity caused by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz will lead to lower yields and tightening food supplies in the latter half of 2026 and into 2027. He spoke at the Ministerial Meeting of the MED9++ Countries on "Supporting Food Security and Access to Fertilizers" co-chaired by FAO, Italy and Croatia.  

Addressing ministers and senior representatives gathered in Rome, the Director-General stressed that the current crisis extends far beyond geopolitics, increasingly affecting food production, trade, agricultural inputs and access to food worldwide.

"We meet at a moment of profound strain," the Director-General said. "This is not only a geopolitical crisis, but also a disruption at the core of the global agrifood system."

Qu highlighted the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, which under normal conditions carries substantial shares of globally traded oil, liquefied natural gas, sulfur and fertilizers. Disruptions to maritime flows through the corridor, he warned, are already tightening fertilizer markets and increasing energy costs, with potentially severe consequences for agricultural production and food prices.

"Agriculture operates within a crop calendar that cannot be postponed," he said. "Fertilizers must be applied at specific moments in the crop cycle. If they do not arrive on time, yields are reduced, regardless of what happens later."

Qu added that a delay of even a few weeks forces farmers to reduce fertilizer use or abandon application altogether. He explained that the impacts seen today are not limited to current prices, but are transmitted forward into the next harvests, which would tighten food supplies into the last half of 2026 and 2027.

The Director-General noted that the impacts are particularly concerning because they coincide with critical planting and fertilization periods across major producing regions.

Import-dependent countries in Africa, Asia and parts of the Middle East are among the most exposed, especially those already facing acute food insecurity, economic fragility or climate-related shocks.

The Director-General emphasized that no country is insulated from the crisis and outlined three priority areas for coordinated action.

In the immediate term, he stressed the importance of keeping supply chains functioning by facilitating alternative trade routes, avoiding export restrictions, supporting farmers' access to agricultural inputs and protecting humanitarian supply chains.

Over the medium term, he called for strengthened regional coordination, diversification of fertilizer and energy sources, and targeted support for the most vulnerable economies.

In the long-term, Qu underscored the need for structural transformation to reduce dependence on concentrated supply routes and fossil fuel-based inputs, including through investments in sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, innovative fertilizer solutions and stronger storage and logistics systems.

Qu welcomed the MED9++ initiative to strengthen cooperation on fertilizer access and food security, noting that the platform aligns with FAO's Strategic Framework and its vision of the Four Betters: Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life, leaving no one behind.

He reaffirmed FAO's commitment to continue providing technical analysis, policy support and convening capacity to help countries address the evolving challenges facing global agrifood systems.

The Ministerial Meeting of the MED9++ Countries on "Supporting Food Security and Access to Fertilizers" brought together ministers and senior representatives from over 40 Mediterranean and partner countries and organizations to discuss the implications of disruptions to global energy, fertilizer and food supply chains, and to strengthen regional cooperation on food security and agrifood system resilience.