(Illustration above produced by ChatGPT for COGwriter)
After Russia began its Special Military Operation into Ukraine in 2022, there began to be shortages of fertilizer (see ‘Fertilizer Prices Continue Rising, Increasing Fears of Global Grain Costs and Shortages’). Then we saw a return of food price inflation (see Food Inflation: World Food Prices Jump Most In 18 Months).
One unintended consequence of the USA-Israel war against Iran has been a disruption of fertilizer exports:
Iran war fertiliser squeeze could spell trouble for next year’s grain harvests
April 27, 2026
Farmers around the world are facing the second surge in fertiliser prices in four years due to the Iran war. But with grain prices too low to cushion the blow from the deeper supply crunch this time around, many are rethinking planting plans, putting global food production at risk.
The Middle East is a leading fertiliser production hub, and much of the global fertiliser trade typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which has seen traffic brought to a standstill by the conflict. …
Supplies of urea – a nitrogen-based fertiliser – from the world’s largest production facility in Qatar have been halted, and flows of sulphur and ammonia, common inputs for a range of fertilisers, have also been curbed.
With a resolution of the conflict proving elusive, analysts, traders, fertiliser producers and agronomists are looking back at the last supply crisis, Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, worried that this time things could get even worse.
“Back in 2022, a lot of the fertiliser was ultimately flowing through,” said Shawn Arita of the Agricultural Risk Policy Center at North Dakota State University.
“It’s a much steeper supply crunch that we’re seeing now.” https://www.reuters.com/world/china/iran-war-fertiliser-squeeze-could-spell-trouble-next-years-grain-harvests-2026-04-27/
Food price inflation will increase.
Michael Snyder posted the following:
The Worst Fertilizer Crisis In The History Of The World Will Result In Widespread Famine In The Poorest Nations
April 26, 2026
Thanks to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, there isn’t going to be enough fertilizer for everyone in 2026. What is available is going to be gobbled up by the wealthy countries because they have the most money. Of course higher fertilizer costs will ultimately be passed along to consumers, and so we will all be paying much higher prices for food in the months ahead. But in the poorest nations on the entire planet, a lack of fertilizer could mean the difference between life and death. A dramatic reduction in the amount of fertilizer that farmers use will result in a dramatic reduction in the amount of food that is grown in those countries. Of course many of those countries were already dealing with very high levels of food insecurity, and the UN has admitted that acute hunger was already at the highest level ever recorded even before the war with Iran began. What the world is facing is unlike anything that any of us have ever seen before, and large numbers of people could literally end up starving to death.
I wish that I was exaggerating.
Without sufficient quantities of fertilizer, there is no way that we could possibly feed the 8 billion people that are living on this planet today.
Unfortunately for all of us, spring planting season is here and much of the world’s supply of fertilizer is trapped because the Strait of Hormuz is closed…
I have many regular readers in Africa, and it is being reported that African farmers are facing a major fertilizer shortage this year…
Food security in Africa could face major disruptions due to continuing uncertainty in the Strait of Hormuz.
The conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran is disrupting global fertiliser trade flows – and this stands to leave millions of African farmers without the ammonia, urea, phosphate, sulphur and other fertiliser inputs vital to growing more food in sub-Saharan Africa.
Even a small drop in fertilizer availability could be catastrophic.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization is telling us that just a 10 percent reduction in the fertilizer supply in Africa could mean that 25 percent less maize, rice and what is grown this year…
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, even a 10 percent reduction in fertiliser availability could result in up to 25 percent less maize, rice and wheat grown in sub-Saharan Africa.
Nitrogen fertilizer causes explosive crop development.
Without it, many farmers will grow far less food in 2026. …
Far less food will be produced in the U.S. than normal this year, and the same thing could be said about many other major food exporters.
In Australia, they are projecting that wheat production could be down by up to 25 percent.
If farmers do not grow our food, we do not eat. https://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/the-worst-fertilizer-crisis-in-the-history-of-the-world-will-result-in-widespread-famine-in-the-poorest-nations/
Wars often lead to famines, food shortages, and/or food inflation.
In its booklet about the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, the old Worldwide Church of God had the following:
Famine Stalks The Earth
“… And there shall be FAMINES… ” — Matthew 24:7
“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. 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. ” — Revelation 6:5-6
AS RAPIDLY as the third horseman appeared on the heels of the second, famine follows rapidly on the heels of war. Starvation and scarcity are the natural and immediate results of crop damage. defoliation, contaminated water supplies, destroyed livestock, and the unusually high food demands of a standing army — all caused by war. …
The well-trod path of … war, leading to … famine is an oft-repeated chapter of man’s sordid past. …
This principle of war-caused famine is described in grisly detail in two parallel chapters of the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26. The nation Israel was here warned that if they did not obey God (that is, if they practiced false religion and neglected God’s Commandments) they would be overtaken by national curses leading to war. Read it in Leviticus 26 of The New English Bible:
“If after all this [internal, domestic curses] you have not learnt discipline but still defy me, I in turn will defy you and scourge you seven times over for your sins. I will bring war in vengeance upon you… you shall be herded into your cities, I will send pestilence among you, and you shall be given over to the enemy. I will cut short your daily bread until ten women can bake your bread in a single oven; they shall dole it out by weight, and though you eat, you shall not be satisfied.
“If in spite of all this you do not listen to me and still defy me, I will defy you in anger, and I myself will punish you seven times over for your sins. Instead of meat you shall eat your sons and daughters” (Lev. 26:23-28, New English Bible).
This prophesied pattern of national decline and despicable deprivation has been followed many times in history, and it will be followed again! Less than 40 years after Christ uttered this prophecy of famines, a Roman war siege on Jerusalem caused such severe famine that even cannibalism reared its ugly head in the so-called “holy city” (read Josephus, Wars of the Jews, for the grisly de tails of this siege).
Throughout the Middle Ages, such war-caused food shortages forced whole cities periodically into starvation, often followed by the Bubonic Plague or other diseases. At the very close of the Middle Ages, the Thirty Years War 1618-1648) was especially ferocious in this regard. Whole cities were sacked and destroyed, starvation was wide spread, and there was even cannibalism in many instances. …
The GREAT Famine
The third horseman of the Apocalypse doesn’t primarily refer to the cyclical famines of the past, or the “structural famines” of the present, but to a specific Great Famine in the future. Following great religious confusion and world war, the current “have” nations of today — the rich few who wallow in the lion’s share of the earth’s wealth — will have their turn to suffer want and deprivation.
After one third of America and the British Commonwealth are liquidated in the initial outbreak of war, Ezekiel 5:12 shows that another one third will die with the combined ravages of the third and fourth horsemen, famine and pestilence. These prophecies are yet ahead of us. The black horseman’s future ride will reduce the proud faces of white America, Europe, and the British Common wealth into the blackened skin of starvation such as now afflicts the vast majority of mankind. The rich few are soon to inherit the lot of the poor majority.
Eventually this Great Famine will spread to all peoples and nations of earth until mankind turns to God in total surrender. These dire plagues are allowed by a loving God to teach man obedience. Peoples and nations will have brought this pain upon themselves, by man-devised religion and man-devised war. God is only allowing man to reap what he sows, so that mankind will learn the bitter lesson that sin brings pain! After man learns this lesson, God will shower down a world of plenty once again, in the wonderful World Tomorrow. (Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Ambassador College Press, 1973)
While we are not to the Great Tribulation yet, the four seals of Revelation 6 are in the process of being opened.
Food inflation is associated with the ride of the third horseman as Revelation 6:5-6 states. Nations around the world are being affected by food inflation–and this started BEFORE Russia moved troops into Ukraine.
Notice again something quoted by the old WCG:
“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. 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. ” — Revelation 6:5-6
Related to food inflation, years ago, we put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:
12:03
Food Inflation & the 3rd Horseman of the Apocalypse
The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, UN’s FAO, and others are reporting food price inflation as well as often selected shortages of some food items. Might it get worse? Did Jesus prophesy famines? One analyst stated, “WE haven’t seen anything yet” in regards to rising food prices. Should Christians prepare? What about helping others? Does the ride of the third horseman of the Apocalypse (Revelation 6:5-6) point to a coming time of severe food inflation. Is more food price inflation coming? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more in this video.
Here is a link to the video: Food Inflation & the 3rd Horseman of the Apocalypse.
We are getting to the end of the 6,000 years that God has allowed humans to rule themselves, which will soon be followed by the 1,000 year reign of Christ. Pray for Jesus to return and God’s Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10).
But prior to Jesus return,”there will be great tribulation” as Jesus foretold (Matthew 24:21).
Some articles of possibly related interest may include:
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What do each of the four horseman of the Apocalypse represent? Have they began their ride? Did Jesus discuss the any of this? Might their rides coincide with the “beginning of sorrows? Do they start their ride prior to the Great Tribulation? Did Nostradamus or any other ‘private prophets’ write predictions that may mislead people so that they may not understand the truth of one or more of the four horseman? There is also a related YouTube video titled Sorrows and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection. A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2033 or 20xx?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2026, 2027, or 2028? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? A short video is available titled: Countdown to the Great Tribulation.
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