Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have triggered warnings of a global food crisis The US-Israeli war on Iran is increasingly hitting consumers far beyond energy prices. Disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz are driving up fertilizer costs and fueling a sharp rise in global food prices. Potatoes have emerged as the latest casualty as futures prices have surged in recent weeks amid mounting warnings over food security and supply chain strain. Why are potato futures prices soaring? Potato-linked financial contracts have spiked more than 700% over the past month and are up over 34% year-on-year as of mid-May, according to Trading Economics data. The surge has been driven largely by concerns over the impact of the Middle East war on fertilizer supplies, energy costs and agricultural trade routes. Potatoes are a nutrient-intensive crop that depends heavily on nitrogen-based fertilizers such as urea and ammonia.…