Africa vulnerable as Iran conflict disrupts supply chains, say experts

Countries in Africa, where farmers depend heavily on imported fertiliser and a large share of household income goes on food, are particularly vulnerable to supply chain disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East. The conflict has drastically disrupted trade through the strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane not just for oil and gas but also for fertiliser, which is produced in vast quantities in the Gulf.

African countries rank among the most reliant on fertiliser imports by sea from the Middle East: a UNCTAD report says 54% of Sudan’s fertiliser arrives this way, with Somalia and Kenya at 30% and 26% respectively. Around one-third of seaborne trade in fertiliser passes through the strait, and much of the world’s fertiliser is produced in the Gulf because of cheap fossil gas and high sulphur production used in manufacture.

Fertiliser prices have soared since the war started last month, and UNCTAD warns this may increase food costs and intensify cost of living pressures, particularly for the most vulnerable.

Sudan, Somalia, Kenya

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