Nairobi - The United Nations Tuesday warned that the global food crisis could be intensified dramatically by climate change as environment ministers from across the world gathered in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

A report presented to over 100 environment minsters at a meeting of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said that by 2050 there could be 25 per cent less food produced worldwide.

Food prices could rise by as much as 50 per cent within a few decades, causing even more misery for the poor, who can spend up to
90 per cent of their income on food, the report said.

According to the report, fish stocks have been greatly depleted and climate change events such as the melting of glaciers in the Himalayas will impact the irrigation systems for up to half of Asia's rice and grain production. (dpa)