The International Crisis Group is urging the establishment of a dedicated initiative focused on the Strait of Hormuz to protect global food security. The organisation, in a statement released on Monday, highlighted growing concerns over disruptions to maritime traffic passing through this crucial waterway, which are currently impacting worldwide supplies of fertilisers and other food-related commodities.
The statement bore the signatures of several distinguished international personalities, including Fola Adeola, founder and chairman of FATE Foundation; Gérard Araud, former French Ambassador to the United States; Carl Bildt, former Swedish Prime Minister and Foreign Minister; Maria Livanos Cattaui, a board member of Open Society Foundations and former secretary-general of the International Chamber of Commerce; and Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and ex-head of the UNDP.
Other signatories included Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, a former senior mediation adviser for the United Nations; Nathalie Delapalme, executive director of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation; Maria Fernanda Espinosa, who previously presided over the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly; Gareth Evans, former Australian Foreign Affairs Minister; Sigmar Gabriel, former Vice-Chancellor of Germany; Ralph Gonsalves, former Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and Arancha González Laya, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs and former Spanish Foreign Minister.
According to the statement, the current conflict in the Middle East has led to a reduction in shipments via the strategic Strait of Hormuz. This passage is critical for a substantial portion of the global trade in fertilisers.
The group cautioned that the consequences would disproportionately affect smallholder farmers in developing nations, where fertiliser expenses represent a significant portion of agricultural production costs. This could lead to reduced cultivation efforts and exacerbate existing food shortages.
To counteract this escalating risk, the organisation has put forward a proposal for a focused initiative. This plan is modelled after the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative, which facilitated the secure export of agricultural products during the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The statement suggests that a comparable mechanism for the Persian Gulf region could guarantee the uninterrupted flow of fertilisers, food items, and related materials through the Strait of Hormuz. Crucially, it could achieve this without necessitating a comprehensive resolution to the wider conflict.
The group expressed its approval of the United Nations' recent efforts to create a task force. This task force aims to address disruptions in maritime trade and explore methods for enabling the safe transit of essential goods.
They stressed that the proposed Hormuz initiative should concentrate on practical, well-defined objectives. It should bring together expertise from diplomacy, maritime operations, and humanitarian aid to ensure the continuity of supply chains.
Furthermore, the Crisis Group believes such a framework could contribute to stabilising global markets, supporting food availability, and lessening the extensive humanitarian and economic repercussions of the ongoing hostilities.
While reinforcing the call for a ceasefire, the group underscored the immediate necessity of implementing measures to alleviate the consequences of persistent conflict.
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