The world is “sleepwalking into a global food crisis” as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz disrupts energy supplies, fertiliser shipments and global food security, Britain’s Foreign Secretary has warned.
Yvette Cooper is expected to say that the closure could have devastating consequences for countries already facing severe food insecurity, when she delivers a keynote speech at the Global Partnerships Conference in London on Tuesday.
“The world is sleepwalking into a global food crisis,” she will say. “We cannot risk tens of millions of people going hungry because one country has hijacked an international shipping lane.”
The warning comes as agricultural analysts are already pricing disruption into next year’s markets, with fertiliser shortages jeopardising crop production.
“The world needs fertiliser moving in weeks, not months,” Ms Cooper will say. She will add that failure to restore supply chains could leave governments relying on emergency humanitarian aid rather than long-term investment.
The World Food Programme estimates nearly 45 million additional people could fall into acute food insecurity if the regional conflict continues beyond the middle of the year. Rising oil and gas prices linked to tension in Iran have also placed additional pressure on public finances and household budgets across vulnerable economies.
The conference, co-hosted by the UK alongside South Africa, British International Investment and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, will bring together governments, investors and global organisations to discuss new approaches to international development and crisis response.
At the centre of the summit is a proposed “Global Partnerships Compact”, designed to encourage countries and institutions to co-operate “faster, more openly and in genuine partnership” to respond to global shocks including conflict, climate change, health emergencies and economic instability.
“This conference reflects our modern approach to development,” Ms Cooper will say. “Global challenges such as the Iran crisis do not stop at borders and neither do their solutions.”
UK Development Minister Jennifer Chapman will say the conference is aimed at creating “stronger economies, fewer crises and a more stable and prosperous future that unlocks opportunity”.
Several new projects will be announced, including a health partnership to support children injured in the Gaza war. The programme will provide rehabilitation and prosthetic care for children with blast injuries and be delivered by UK-Med in collaboration with Imperial College London.
British International Investment will also announce more than £1 billion ($1.34 billion) in new climate investments over the next five years, with the aim of unlocking another £3.5 billion in private capital for emerging markets. Officials said the move demonstrated the UK’s shift “from donor to investor” in international development.
Ms Cooper will also tell the conference that the UK will continue leading international calls for the “immediate and unrestricted reopening” of the Strait of Hormuz and would advance plans for a proposed multinational mission aimed at supporting any agreement to secure the route.
