The Food Supply Chain Is Breaking... Again

AI Briefing

• – Global fertilizer shortages, caused by a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Russia's halt of ammonium nitrate exports, and China's ban on fertilizer exports, will lead to food shortages, with the most vulnerable populations in Bangladesh, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia being disproportionately affected.
• – The fertilizer shortages will concentrate the impact of the shortage, as the planting windows for various crops are closing, and the effects will be felt in higher food prices and geopolitical instability.
• – The situation is described as a 'war' fought with molecules, with the three locks on the continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa limiting access to essential nutrients for crops, and potentially leading to widespread hunger and instability.