The Strait of Hormuz crisis is exposing a hidden food risk. New fertilizer tech could help

For more than a century, conventional fertilizer has relied on natural gas—and fragile supply chains. Startups are beginning to change that.

When ships can’t make it through the Strait of Hormuz, the fallout goes beyond the price of oil: Nearly a third of the world’s fertilizer also passes through the corridor, coming from factories in countries like Qatar. Fertilizer prices have surged due to the Iran war—and added one more reason that food prices are going up around the world.