International food security expert Dr. Fadel ELZUBI warned that a rise of just $100 per ton in fertilizer prices translates into an additional $20–30 in costs per hectare of wheat or maize. With energy, shipping, and insurance costs also climbing, the pressures on importing countries are multiplying, creating a compounded burden on food systems already strained by conflict and instability.

ELZUBI emphasized that these cascading costs are not isolated figures but part of a broader chain reaction: higher input prices squeeze farmers, reduce competitiveness, and ultimately raise consumer prices. In regions dependent on imports, such as the Middle East, the impact is magnified, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated strategies to safeguard food security under mounting geopolitical and economic pressures.