Jaishankar Warns of Impending Global Food Crisis Amid Disrupted Grain Shipments and El Niño Threat
India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has warned of an impending global food crisis, citing disruptions to grain shipments and fertiliser shortages as well as the looming threat of a Super El Niño.
The US-Iran conflict has severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global agricultural supplies, with approximately one-third of the world's seaborne fertiliser trade passing through the waterway.
Jaishankar highlighted that major grain exporters are currently unable to dispatch shipments reliably, while significant fertiliser shortages are emerging in international markets.
A Super El Niño poses a direct threat to the output of staple commodities, including rice, grain, sugar, and palm oil, with India having forecast below-average monsoon rains for the first time in three years.