Amsterdam, Netherlands – Reacting to the news that fertiliser producers have made windfall profits off the back of the war in the Middle East. Amanda Larsson, Global Big Ag Project Lead, Greenpeace Aotearoa said: "The illegal US-Israeli attack on Iran has sent global fertiliser prices soaring, and while a few agrochemical giants shamelessly reap bumper profits, farmers are watching their livelihoods wither on the vine. This is war-profiteering facilitated by a broken, fossil fuel-dependent food system – with farmers and consumers paying the price.
"Synthetic nitrogen fertiliser causes water and climate pollution, while propping up a system of industrial over-production, particularly to produce monoculture feed crops for livestock. We are sacrificing our rivers, our climate, and our financial security to prop up a system that serves billionaires, not communities.
"We cannot buy food security on a volatile global chemical market. The only path to true food sovereignty and resilience is through a transition to ecological farming. By moving away from synthetic fertilisers and toward diverse, nature-based practices, we can break the cycle of chemical dependence, protect our water, and ensure that the price of food is no longer dictated by the whims of war and corporate greed."
