The United States could face a food crisis if there is a shortage of fertilizers on the global market. This was stated in a column for The Wall Street Journal by Jeff Stair, an adviser to the American think tank The Heartland Institute.
"China, Russia, and Iran control the global fertilizer market. This could lead to exorbitant food prices," he believes. Stair writes that the Ukrainian conflict, China's reduction of fertilizer exports, and disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz are causing volatile fertilizer prices.
The expert believes that the US administration should strengthen the domestic fertilizer supply chain and boost domestic oil and gas production. "Natural gas is a critical feedstock for nitrogen fertilizers, and oil and gas refining yields a significant amount of sulfur needed for phosphate fertilizers. Energy security and food security are inseparable," he concluded.