Food prices will rise by between 20 and 50 per cent over the next decade from average levels over the last ten years, supported by the growth of the biofuel industry and increased food demand in emerging countries, a study warned yesterday.

The report by the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), added that long-term prices would be up to 30 per cent higher than previously estimated.