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Speaking exclusively to Feed Planet between London Grain Week and IDMA Istanbul in June, amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, Anis Alam, GAFTA Council Member and Chief Grain Procurement Officer at ARASCO, reveals how the Middle Eastern giant is mitigating rising logistical costs, managing vessel diversions to the West Coast, and why the global feed industry is eyeing Africa as its next strategic breadbasket.

A rapid and severe disruption in maritime flows through the Strait of Hormuz is emerging as a major shock to global agrifood systems, with tanker traffic reportedly dropping by more than 90 percent.

The all-out war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran has turned the Strait of Hormuz into a logistical chokepoint, shaking global agricultural and energy markets. This nuclear-risk escalation in the Middle East has the potential to bring the entire production chain from fertilizer costs to feed raw materials to a standstill.