00:00The US war with Iran could make your groceries,
00:02even your morning toast, more expensive.
00:05Here's what's happening.
00:05The armed conflict has effectively shut down
00:08the Strait of Hormuz, a tiny shipping lane
00:10between Iran and Oman, which is one of the most
00:12important trade routes on Earth.
00:14Ships are stalling, insurance costs are exploding,
00:17and many carriers are avoiding the route entirely.
00:20That matters because Hormuz isn't just an oil highway.
00:24About one third of the world's entire traded fertilizer
00:27moves through this strait,
00:28and the timing couldn't be worse.
00:31Farmers across the Northern Hemisphere
00:32are heading into the spring planting season
00:34when they need fertilizer the most.
00:36If shipments slow down, fertilizer prices rise.
00:40And we've talked before about how farming relies heavily
00:42on things like fertilizers and pesticides to keep yields high,
00:45and when those inputs disappear suddenly,
00:47food prices usually follow.
00:49And we saw how fragile the grain supply chains got
00:52during the Russia-Ukraine war,
00:53but this time, the risk isn't just the grain,
00:56it's the thing that grows the grain.
00:58So that all leads to the big question.
01:00If this ends up raising grocery prices,
01:02who's really to blame here?
01:03The war overseas or the US
01:04for the way we've built our food system?
01:06Drop your answer in the comments,
01:08check out our website, and follow us here for more.
01:10See you next time.
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