Energy and Food Problems Are Connected
Introduction
Problems in the Middle East are causing a big problem for fertilizer. This is bad for food in many countries around the world.
Main Body
The Strait of Hormuz is a very important waterway. About 38% of the world's oil and 13% of chemicals, like fertilizer, go through it. Now, ships cannot travel safely. So countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE cannot send out their fertilizer. Making fertilizer needs a lot of natural gas. The gas is used for energy and as a material. It makes up 70-80% of the cost. When gas supplies are low, the price of nitrogen fertilizer goes up by 30%. This happened because of attacks on gas fields in Iran and Qatar. A similar problem happened in 2022 after the war in Ukraine. Then, energy problems caused less fertilizer and bad harvests. Now, the problem is bigger. In Vietnam, fertilizer imports are down by more than 50%. The Philippines has higher food prices. China stopped selling fertilizer to other countries to keep its own people safe. This makes it harder for Africa and South Asia to get fertilizer. To fix this, some people say we need to store fertilizer like we store oil. Also, we can make 'green ammonia' using renewable energy. And farmers can use technology to use less fertilizer. This can help when prices go up.
Conclusion
The world's food is not safe. If the Strait of Hormuz stays closed or a big weather event like El Niño happens, things can get worse.
Learning
💡 The 'Cause & Effect' Pattern
In A2 English, we need to explain why things happen. This article uses a very simple way to connect two ideas: [Fact A] [Result B].
1. Simple Connections Look at how the text connects a problem to a result:
- Gas supplies are low price goes up.
- Ships cannot travel countries cannot send fertilizer.
- War in Ukraine bad harvests.
2. Key Words to Use To make these connections in your own speaking, use these three words:
| Word | How to use it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| So | Use it for a quick result | It is raining, so I have an umbrella. |
| Because | Use it to give the reason | Prices are high because there is no gas. |
| Makes | Use it when A changes B | This problem makes food expensive. |
3. Common A2 Phrases from the Text
- "To fix this..." (Use this when you want to suggest a solution)
- "Harder to..." (Use this to describe a difficult situation)
- "Keep... safe" (Use this to talk about protecting something)