Last week I wrote about the Strait of Hormuz.
I explained why that narrow waterway sits at the center of the global energy system. Roughly 20 million barrels of oil move through it every single day. When ships slow or stop there, oil prices rarely stay calm for long.
The warning came after Iraq suddenly cut production by nearly 1.5 million barrels per day because exports stalled. Storage tanks were filling faster than tankers could leave port.
It was a reminder that oil markets depend on movement just as much as supply.
But after publishing that essay, something became clear to me.
I only told half the story.
Because a disruption in the Strait of Hormuz does not stop at oil.
Energy prices are only the first domino.
The same corridor that moves oil also carries fertilizer, refined fuels, and critical shipping traffic that supports global agriculture.
When pressure builds in Hormuz, the consequences can move through supply chains in ways most investors never consider. Shipping costs rise. Fertilizer becomes harder to move. Diesel markets tighten.
Eventually, the shock reaches something far more politically sensitive than crude oil.
Food prices.
And history shows that when food prices rise quickly, economic stress can turn into political instability with surprising speed.
So today I want to widen the lens.
Because the Strait of Hormuz is not only an energy chokepoint.
It is one of the most fragile links in the global food system.
The Corridor That Feeds the Planet
Most investors think about Hormuz strictly in terms of oil.
That focus makes sense. Roughly 20 million barrels of oil and petroleum products move through the strait each day. That volume represents about a quarter of the global seaborne oil trade.
Yet another critical commodity moves through the same corridor.
Fertilizer.
About one third of global seaborne fertilizer shipments, close to 16 million tonnes, pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
That statistic rarely appears in energy headlines. It should.
Fertilizer sits at the foundation of modern agriculture. Farmers rely on it to maintain yields and stabilize production.
When fertilizer becomes expensive or difficult to obtain, crop output falls, and food prices rise.
A disruption that threatens both energy shipments and fertilizer shipments places pressure on two pillars of the global food system at the same time.
That is where a shipping disruption begins to evolve into an inflation problem.
Fertilizer Is Energy Turned Into Food
Fertilizer production depends heavily on energy.
Nitrogen fertilizers such as ammonia and urea require large quantities of natural gas during manufacturing. More than 70 percent of global ammonia production relies on natural gas feedstocks.
Therefore, energy prices directly influence fertilizer costs.
When natural gas becomes expensive, fertilizer producers face higher manufacturing costs. When shipping routes become unstable, transportation costs rise as well.
Farmers then face a difficult decision.
They can absorb the higher cost of fertilizer and hope crop prices rise later. Or they can apply less fertilizer and accept lower yields.
Both outcomes push food prices higher.
If geopolitical tension disrupts fertilizer shipments through Hormuz, the pressure on agricultural markets grows quickly.
Diesel Moves the Entire System
Fertilizer determines how much food gets grown. Diesel determines how that food moves.
Diesel powers tractors, harvesters, irrigation pumps, and freight trucks. Refrigeration systems that preserve food during transportation rely on it as well.
Between 10 percent and 20 percent of global seaborne diesel supply moves through the Strait of Hormuz.
If shipments tighten, several costs rise quickly.
Freight becomes more expensive. Trucking rates increase. Farming equipment costs more to operate. Food processors face higher energy bills.
These increases move step by step through the supply chain until they appear in grocery prices.
Food inflation does not always begin with crop failures. Often it begins with rising energy and transportation costs.
A Small Chemical That Could Disrupt Transport
There is another detail worth understanding.
Modern diesel engines require diesel exhaust fluid, commonly known as DEF. This fluid allows emissions systems in trucks and heavy equipment to function properly.
DEF is produced primarily from urea, the same compound used in many fertilizers.
Without DEF, modern diesel engines reduce power dramatically. Trucks can slow to a crawl or become difficult to operate.
In normal conditions this system functions without interruption. Supply chains keep DEF widely available.
During fertilizer shortages the situation becomes more complicated.
If urea supplies tighten or governments prioritize fertilizer for agriculture, DEF production can also face pressure. Transportation networks could experience slowdowns at the same time the food system needs flexibility.
This possibility illustrates how interconnected modern supply chains have become.
When Food Prices Become Political
Food inflation carries consequences that extend far beyond grocery bills.
In wealthy countries, rising food prices frustrate consumers. In lower-income countries, they can destabilize governments.
Economic research examining more than 120 countries has found that spikes in global food prices increase the likelihood of protests, riots, and civil unrest in poorer nations.
Recent history offers clear examples.
The food price surge during 2007 and 2008 triggered unrest in more than 30 countries. Rising food costs also contributed to the tensions that erupted during the Arab Spring.
Food holds a unique place in economics because demand rarely declines when prices rise.
Consumers can delay buying cars or homes. They cannot delay eating.
When food prices surge, governments face immediate political pressure.
Why Markets Often Miss This Risk
Investors often treat food inflation as a secondary issue.
That perspective overlooks how supply shocks travel through the economy.
When energy prices, fertilizer costs, and freight rates rise at the same time, the shock spreads across multiple sectors.
Emerging markets feel pressure first. Countries that rely on imported energy or fertilizer face rising import bills and weakening currencies.
Central banks encounter difficult choices. Inflation limits their ability to cut interest rates during economic slowdowns.
Governments intervene when food prices climb rapidly. Export restrictions, subsidies, and reserve releases can reshape global supply dynamics almost overnight.
Markets frequently react to these developments only after the pressure becomes obvious.
The Pattern Behind Chokepoint Crises
Global supply chains depend on a handful of critical corridors.
The Strait of Hormuz ranks among the most important.
It connects major energy exporters with global markets and links fertilizer producers with agricultural importers.
When tension rises there, several markets feel the impact simultaneously.
Energy shipments slow. Fertilizer shipments face disruption. Freight costs climb.
Together these forces increase inflation pressure across the global economy.
This pattern has repeated throughout history. Supply disruptions rarely remain confined to one commodity.
They move through interconnected systems until the effects reach households and governments.
What Investors Should Watch
Predicting political unrest is difficult. Monitoring the signals that precede it is far easier.
Three indicators often move together during supply disruptions.
Fertilizer prices.
Watch benchmarks for urea and ammonia.
Diesel markets.
Monitor refining margins and fuel inventories.
Shipping stress.
Freight rates and tanker insurance costs often rise when geopolitical risks increase.
When these indicators climb together, food inflation risks begin to build.
Investors who track these signals gain an early view of economic pressure that others may overlook.
The Quiet Lesson
Global stability depends on systems that appear strong until they face strain.
A narrow shipping corridor can influence energy markets, fertilizer supply chains, and transportation networks at the same time.
The chain reaction often begins quietly.
Ships reroute. Insurance premiums rise. Freight prices climb.
Fertilizer markets tighten soon after. Diesel prices follow.
Food inflation emerges later.
By the time consumers notice the change, the original disruption may have begun months earlier in a distant shipping lane.
Fertilizer and diesel sit at the intersection of energy, agriculture, and politics.
Their prices can influence currencies, interest rates, and government stability.
In a global economy built on complex supply chains, chokepoints carry enormous weight.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most important.
And when pressure builds there, the consequences travel far beyond the oil market.
Stay Sharp,
Gideon Ashwood