FNB News - FAO urges open trade on all agricultural inputs & efficient fertiliser

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INTERNATIONAL

FAO urges open trade on all agricultural inputs & efficient fertiliser

Thursday, 11 June, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]

Rome, Italy

The director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), QU Dongyu, opened the 181st Session of the FAO Council, noting recommendations for countries to address the impacts of the Strait of Hormuz crisis, particularly the urgent need for efficient fertiliser use as global agrifood systems face unprecedented challenges.

“The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is not a regional issue – it is a global food security risk,” Dongyu highlighted, noting that around 35% of global crude oil exports, 20% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, 20–30% of global fertiliser exports, and approximately 50% of global sulphur exports transit through this critical chokepoint. These essential flows are vital for food production, affecting energy and agricultural inputs significantly.

“The greatest risk was not an immediate food shortage, but a fertiliser and production shock,” Dongyu stated. As the crisis reaches its 100-day mark, its effects are becoming increasingly visible. Farmers across Asia, Africa, and Latin America are grappling with higher production costs and difficult choices regarding fertiliser use and crop decisions.

In response, FAO has launched a comprehensive package of recommendations for immediate, medium, and long-term actions. “In the immediate term, we have called for keeping trade open, avoiding export restrictions on all agricultural inputs, protecting humanitarian food corridors, and securing alternative logistics routes,” Dongyu said.

Additionally, FAO is working to enhance fertiliser use efficiently through initiatives like soil mapping and precision agriculture. “We are promoting intercropping systems to reduce dependence on nitrogen fertilisers,” he added. FAO is also actively working to develop innovation funds for alternative fertilisers, such as green ammonia and biofertilisers.

The director-general pointed out that El Niño-related weather risks later this year could further threaten food production and food security in countries already facing severe food crises.