West Asia crisis disrupts fertiliser production, exports in Middle East as farmers prepare for planting seasons

Oliver Oliveros, Executive Coordinator, Agroecology Coalition said, 'The conflict in Iran highlights the vulnerability of an agriculture system that is overly reliant on fossil fuel fertilisers.'

Mumbai: The conflict involving the Israel-United States coalition and Iran has disrupted fertiliser production and exports in the Middle East, tightening global supplies and pushing up prices as millions of farmers around the world prepare for planting seasons.

Zero Carbon Analytics (ZCA) has released an analysis highlighting the case for improving nitrogen fertiliser management and adopting agroecological practices, which can significantly reduce dependence on synthetic fertilisers while maintaining or increasing yields.

The analysis highlights that agroecological practices can cut nitrogen pollution by 30–70 per cent, reduce fertiliser use, increase yields by up to 30 per cent, and generate up to $600 billion in societal benefits through improved food supply, human health, ecosystems and climate outcomes.

“This vulnerability is a choice, and one that we all pay for. The IMF puts global fossil fuel subsidies at seven trillion dollars. Food systems consume 15 per cent of those fossil fuels. And nearly 90 per cent of the $540 billion in annual agricultural support goes to the same chemical-intensive production that depends on them. We didn't stumble into this dependency. We funded it."

“This vulnerability is a choice, and one that we all pay for. The IMF puts global fossil fuel subsidies at seven trillion dollars. Food systems consume 15 percent of those fossil fuels. And nearly 90 percent of the $540 billion in annual agricultural support goes to the same chemical-intensive production that depends on them. We didn't stumble into this dependency. We funded it,” said Raj Patel, economist, expert in sustainable food at the University of Texas and International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) member.

“With fertiliser prices rising - and the planting season soon to begin - Asia’s farmers are once again being forced to choose between rising costs and falling yields. Consumers, who are already struggling to put food on the table, are facing further price hikes. We need to get Asian agriculture off this rollercoaster by shifting subsidies away from intensive mono-crop farming and towards approaches such as agroecology and organic that are less reliant on chemical inputs and less vulnerable to shocks from conflict and climate change,” added Shamika Mone, Indian farmer and President of the Inter-Continental Network of Organic Farmer Organisations.

”The conflict in Iran highlights the vulnerability of an agriculture system that is overly reliant on fossil fuel fertilisers. More and more governments - including globally important commodity exporters such as Brazil, Kenya and Vietnam - are starting to recognise this and are supporting farmers to adopt agroecological practices that use natural fertilisers and nitrogen fixing plants to boost production. To speed up the transition, we need to re-direct billions in agriculture subsidies that are used to prop up intensive farm systems and invest in approaches that will safeguard farmers and consumers from further energy price volatility and climate shocks,” noted Oliver Oliveros, Executive Coordinator, Agroecology Coalition.