00:00The landscape of the Persian Gulf probably isn't what you picture when you think of a global
00:03agricultural hub. That's understandable given it's mostly sand. But make no mistake, the war in Iran
00:09can and probably will upend the cost of the food that you put on your plate. That's because modern
00:14agriculture runs on energy. It powers farm irrigation, machinery, tractors, even things
00:19that you don't even really think about like fertilizers and plastic packaging. Right now,
00:23the war in Iran is squeezing the supplies of all of these very key ingredients. There's also the
00:28shipping problems. With the Strait of Ormuz essentially closed, freight is becoming both
00:32slower and more expensive. Things are already difficult for farmers. They're facing higher
00:37input costs and more extreme swings in weather. But now they're going to be taking even more
00:41difficult decisions, essentially on your behalf. Firstly, they could cut back on inputs like
00:46fertilizer. But down the line, that would mean their yields start to go down. In other words,
00:51they'll be growing less food. They could also put all of these higher costs immediately on you,
00:56the consumer. But essentially, the outcomes of both are the same. It means food is going
01:00to cost more and the risk of a global food supply shortage is much higher. So it might
01:04take some time, but in six to 12 months when you're browsing supermarket shelves, you might
01:09find that your favorite products are either not there or are suddenly way more expensive.
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