West Africa may soon become the next destination for Russian fertilizer that has remained stuck in European ports, as international negotiators attempt to ease supply bottlenecks fueling a global agricultural crunch. United Nations officials say the region, heavily impacted by rising input costs, could receive shipments once logistical and financial barriers are resolved.
The announcement comes amid renewed diplomatic momentum surrounding food exports linked to the war in Ukraine. A recently extended international arrangement has reopened critical shipping routes for Ukrainian grain, offering short-term relief to volatile food markets and stabilizing prices that surged after the conflict began.
While the extension of the Black Sea export framework was welcomed as a step forward, U.N. trade officials caution that it addresses only part of a much broader problem. Fertilizer supplies — essential for future harvests — remain constrained, and affordability has become a major obstacle for farmers across developing regions.
According to U.N. representatives, demand for fertilizers has dropped sharply, not because they are no longer needed, but because many countries can no longer afford them. This collapse in usage raises concerns about reduced crop yields and the risk of a delayed food crisis that could emerge in coming seasons rather than immediately.
The original export initiative, first agreed last summer, enabled millions of tons of Ukrainian grain and food products to leave blocked ports and reach global markets. Its renewal for an additional four months has bought negotiators time, but unresolved issues continue to surround a parallel effort aimed at Russian agricultural exports.
Before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia dominated the global fertilizer market. Today, despite the absence of formal sanctions on food and fertilizer exports, shipments have stalled as insurers, banks, and shipping firms remain wary of engaging with Russian cargo. In many cases, private-sector hesitation — not legal prohibition — has proven to be the real barrier.
Moscow has sought to ease pressure by offering to donate hundreds of thousands of metric tons of fertilizer currently warehoused in Europe to countries struggling with shortages. The first delivery is expected to depart from the Netherlands, bound initially for southern Africa before being transported inland to support local farming communities.
U.N. officials say West Africa is expected to follow as a priority destination, given how severely farmers in the region have been hit by soaring prices and limited access to agricultural inputs. Many producers have been forced to cut fertilizer use altogether, threatening yields and household food security.
Despite cautious optimism, international mediators acknowledge that progress remains fragile. Without durable solutions to financing, insurance, and transport, fertilizer flows could remain inconsistent — undermining efforts to stabilize global food systems already strained by conflict, inflation, and climate pressures.
For West Africa, the arrival of fertilizer shipments would offer more than short-term relief. It could determine whether the region’s next planting cycles succeed or falter, with consequences that would ripple far beyond the farm gate.
