The Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz Is About More Than Gas and Oil
1 June, 2026: In an article posted on New Food Magazine, three main factors are driving the current pressure on global food systems:
1. The Fertilizer Bottleneck (The Silent Crisis)
When people think of the conflict in the Middle East and the current friction in the Strait of Hormuz, they naturally think about crude oil and gasoline. But the biggest threat to the food supply is actually fertilizer.
- The narrow Strait of Hormuz is responsible for moving roughly 20% to 30% of the world’s seaborne fertilizer exports, along with the sulfur required to make phosphate fertilizer.
- Because of the ongoing maritime standoff and the U.S. blockade on ships utilizing Iranian ports, these shipments are severely delayed or completely gridlocked.
- Farmers globally are seeing urea fertilizer prices spike anywhere from 20% to 60%. Because regions like East Africa rely almost entirely on the Middle East for their inputs right as their planting season begins, a lack of fertilizer today means significantly lower crop yields six to nine months from now.
2. The Energy-to-Food Price Link
Food and energy prices are tied at the hip. When it costs more to fuel a tractor, run an irrigation pump, or keep a refrigerated semi-truck moving, the cost of the food inside those systems rises immediately.
- The UN World Food Programme (WFP) points out that in developing nations, a 30% spike in energy costs almost immediately translates into massive local food inflation, forcing vulnerable populations to simply buy less to eat.
- Even domestically, high fuel costs are pinching major agricultural hubs like California—which produces a massive portion of the nation’s vegetables. When diesel prices surge, the shipping costs to move those crops across the country inevitably get passed down to the grocery store scanner.
3. Diverting Crops to Biofuels
When oil prices spike and traditional energy becomes expensive or hard to secure, governments and energy sectors look for alternatives. This creates an incentive to divert crops like maize (corn), sugar, and oilseeds away from dinner tables and into biofuel production.
- This dynamic creates a “food vs. fuel” tug-of-war. With lower expected crop yields due to the fertilizer shortage, diverting what is grown into gas tanks further tightens the global balance, driving food prices up even more.
The Big Picture: UN agencies like the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are warning that the real test will hit late this year and drag into 2027. We are currently eating the food that was successfully grown and shipped before the current chokepoints tightened. The decisions made by world leaders over the next few months to clear these transit routes will dictate whether this remains a temporary, expensive headache or turns into a severe global shortage.
Paving The Way For The Four Horsemen
In a trend that has been taking place over the past month or so, we see things happening that are specifically pointing toward the prophecy of the first four seals in the book of Revelation, better known as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. 4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. Revelation 6:1-8
As I have written previously, there was a time when I considered the third horse, the black horse, as a representation of famine. This is still considered the standard interpretation to this day. However, if this is a famine, it is one of the strangest famines ever recorded. In this famine, food is available, however prices are so high, no one can afford to buy food.
The article points out that prices of food is going to be squeeze upward because of the shortages. I have since came to believe that the third horseman of the apocalypse represents runaway inflation. A time when food prices are so high, it takes a day’s wage in order to buy a meal.
In the specific prophecy, the rider shouts, “A measure of wheat for a penny; three measures of barley for a penny.” First of all, a penny is not the copper coin in your pocket. In this example the actual Greek phrase is “Denarius”; a standard payment for one’s days work. A measure of wheat is enough wheat for a loaf of bread. Now, barley is an inferior grain. Even to this day, we generally use barley to flavor things. However, if you have a family to feed, you would opt for 3 measures of barley, in order to make enough loaves for your entire family.
So what we’re seeing here is not a lack of food but simply the cost of food has risen so high that only the rich can afford anything beyond the basic necessities. And this is coming true in this day and age. Even today, the one category that inflation is seen to this day is food costs.
Global Food Supply Chains in 2026: building resilience under pressure