UN News Service/D. Dickinson FAO calls for diversifying ports and transport corridors, building regional reserves and improving the resilience of energy systems. UN experts: closing the Strait of Hormuz could cause a global food crisis Economic Development
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz was not just a temporary disruption to shipping, but the beginning of a systemic agri-food shock that could develop into a serious global food price crisis over the next 6-12 months. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned about this, calling on countries to urgently seek alternative trade routes, avoid export restrictions and facilitate humanitarian food supplies.
FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero said the world needs to “think seriously about building resilience [to events related to the Strait of Hormuz] to minimize potential impacts.” He says it’s about a comprehensive response from governments, international financial institutions, the private sector and UN agencies to help countries cope with growing risks. The FAO says the window for preventative action is rapidly narrowing: the decisions farmers and governments make today will determine whether the current shock develops into a full-blown cost crisis. food. The impact is already visible: the FAO Food Price Index rose for the third month in a row. According to David Laborde, director of the FAO Agri-Food Economics Department, the blow can be softened by redirecting trade flows through the eastern Arabian Peninsula, western Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea, but the capacity of these routes is limited, which makes it especially important to abandon export restrictions by large producers. FAO also warns that the situation could be aggravated by the expected strengthening of the El Niño natural phenomenon, which could cause droughts and disrupt climate cycles in some regions. The organization has prepared a set of recommendations – from emergency measures to secure alternative corridors and protect humanitarian supplies to expanding credit for farmers, developing digital registries, strengthening logistics and increasing investment in sustainable technologies. In the long term, FAO calls for diversifying ports and transport corridors, increasing regional reserves and increasing the sustainability of energy systems. According to the organization, without coordinated action, the world community risks facing a new round of global food instability in the coming year.