Jordan’s Elzubi Warns of a Severe Trial for Arab Food Security
Dr. Fadel ELZUBI, former Head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Mission, warned of the widening repercussions of the global fertilizer crisis on food security systems. He stressed that Jordan, as a country dependent on imports of food, energy, and agricultural inputs, is not immune to the effects of this crisis—particularly given the deep linkage between energy and fertilizer prices, which imposes mounting pressures on agricultural production costs and food supply chains.
In an exclusive statement to Akhbar Al-Urdun online, ELZUBI explained that the decline in global fertilizer trade by up to 30% is a troubling indicator of deeper imbalances that may gradually impact global agricultural production and, consequently, the stability of food security in the most vulnerable, import-dependent countries. He noted that while the impact on agriculture may appear later than in other sectors, recovery will be slower and more complex.
ELZUBI highlighted that the regions most at risk globally are those combining high dependence on fertilizers with limited financial capacity to absorb price increases. He pointed out that Sub-Saharan Africa stands at the forefront of threatened regions—despite its already low fertilizer use—making the damage doubly severe. He further noted that South and Southeast Asia, with their dense populations, will also be among the hardest hit, given their reliance on government subsidies for fertilizers and the soaring fiscal burden under current price spikes