A Closed Strait of Hormuz Risks a Global Food Security Crisis

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian, Gabriel Collins and Senior Research Associate Jahara Matisek write about the war in Iran and how it has done more than rattle energy markets. It has exposed an ordinary farm input as a strategic commodity. Urea is a concentrated, easy-to-transport nitrogen fertilizer that increases the yields of many crops, especially staple grains like corn, rice, and wheat. April 13, 2026.