Fertilizer shortages threaten to spike food costs

Prices for fertilizers are spiking across the world, with per-ton rates for some products at or near record highs, a market reality that threatens to exacerbate rising consumer costs for everything from coffee to corn and rice.

A host of factors, including extreme weather events, elevated natural gas prices, and supply chain disruptions are raising the price point for the key plant foods and making them less and less affordable for growers, analysts say.