Foreign Policy‘s Christina Lu reports that even with a cease-fire deal in place, vital energy and fertilizer flows remain trapped. The article quotes Joseph Glauber, IFPRI research fellow emeritus, who noted that energy inputs are built into food costs at nearly every step, from production and processing through transportation and retail. Diesel fuel, which powers farm machinery as well as the trucks moving food from warehouses to stores, is a key example. With diesel prices rising sharply because of the war, farmers are facing higher fuel and fertilizer expenses at a time when many crop prices remain weak, further squeezing already tight profit margins.
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