Rising fuel and fertilizer costs from Iran conflict threaten Africa’s food security
African trade ministers warn that higher fuel and fertilizer prices linked to the US-Israel war on Iran could push up food costs across the continent.
At the World Investment Forum in Doha, trade ministers from Africa and UNCTAD’s Luz Maria de la Mora warned that the United States-Israel war on Iran is inflating fuel and fertilizer prices, jeopardizing food security on the continent. De la Mora said higher fertilizer costs could force countries to cut usage, lowering harvests and raising food prices next year. Zimbabwe’s Monica Mutsvangwa noted the impact on a population heavily reliant on agriculture, while Uganda’s Sanjay Tanna reported fuel prices more than doubling and a 10% fall in the shilling.
Both ministers stressed the broader supply-chain disruptions caused by the Strait of Hormuz blockage. They called for stable investment and infrastructure to build resilience, with Congo’s Jean-Jacques Bouya urging local processing of resources.
Why it matters
Escalating input costs could reduce crop output and raise food prices for millions of Africans.
How this story developed
- Sep 15 UK fuel prices hit four-year highs as oil market turmoil continues
- Oct 8 A tanker north of Qatar was hit by multiple projectiles, causing casualties.
- Oct 10 According to the Revolutionary Guard, the vessel hit a mine and burst into flames while transiting the Hormuz Strait. The flag of the ship has not been identified. The incident follows a series of recent attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf, including Iran's claim that it shot at a tanker using an "illegal channel." The flare-up has contributed to a rise in global oil prices and renewed worries about the security of one of the world’s key oil transit routes.
- Oct 13 Trump’s Strait of Hormuz announcement and dismissal of Iran’s UN proposal occurred alongside a Brent price jump and the departure of the final U.S. soldiers from Iraq.
- Oct 14 Iran’s security chief publicly named the US‑UAE night‑shuttle as a specific target.
- Oct 14 Iran announced a revised method for targeting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Oct 17 Spain extended its 20‑cent‑per‑litre fuel subsidy beyond the planned November 1 expiry.
- Oct 17 A supertanker hit a sea mine in the strait, triggering a fire.
- Oct 20 US Central Command said about 400 ships and 100 million barrels of oil still transited the strait.
- Oct 22 Oil prices rose after the United States ordered diplomats and their families to leave Saudi Arabia following renewed Houthi strikes on Saudi targets.
- Oct 22 Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
- Oct 23 The United States ordered its diplomats and families to leave Saudi Arabia.
- Oct 25 The U.S. administration temporarily exempted colored diesel from certain regulations.
- Oct 26 Oil prices slipped nearly a dollar in early trading on Monday after earlier gains.
In this story
Related stories
35 in this thread