India urges world to protect sea lanes for food, fuel

India has urged the global community to safeguard key sea routes, stressing that stable and foreseeable maritime trade paths are essential for continuous flow of essential goods such as food, fertilisers and fuel. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, highlighted that food insecurity is among the most severe humanitarian outcomes of warfare.

In a recent UN Security Council debate titled "Food Under Fire: The Security Council's Role in Mitigating Global and Local Food Crises," Parvathaneni emphasized that conflicts not only disrupt local regions but also have far-reaching impacts globally, particularly burdening developing nations that heavily rely on imports. He advocated for the UN Security Council to prioritize mitigating conflict-induced humanitarian crises, which involves ensuring safe, swift, and unhindered access to humanitarian aid, fostering de-escalation agreements, and ensuring that the Council's own actions like sanctions do not hinder humanitarian efforts or normal food and agricultural trade.

Parvathaneni stressed the importance of preserving freedom of navigation for commercial vessels under international law, stating that secure and predictable maritime trade routes are vital for uninterrupted movement of food, fertilisers, fuel, and other necessities. Disruptions to commercial shipping during conflicts can have far-reaching consequences, especially for food-importing developing countries and humanitarian operations.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres noted that 2025 witnessed the highest number of armed conflicts since World War II and among the highest levels of acute global hunger, with over 266 million people facing severe food shortages. He also pointed out that the UN's latest Hunger Hotspots report revealed that conflicts and violence are the main drivers of hunger in 12 out of 13 global hotspots.

Guterres highlighted that the Strait of Hormuz transports about a fifth of global oil supplies and a third of the world's fertiliser trade, and attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea are threatening supply chains for food and other commodities. India urged member states, international financial institutions, regional organizations, and development partners to collaborate in strengthening domestic agriculture, diversifying supply chains, enhancing storage and logistics infrastructure, and promoting climate-resilient farming.

He stressed the need for affordable access to fertilizers, quality seeds, technology, and concessional finance, particularly for developing nations. India also cautioned against overdependence on a single agricultural model, advocating for small and marginal farmers to boost productivity and support food security in developing countries.