The next decade will be difficult for Australia's poor because the prices of fruits and vegetables are expected to rise.

A study of the University of Queensland (UQ) predicted an increase of as much as 45 percent in the cost of fresh farm produce. The university is presenting the results of the study in a public forum tonight. UQ's Global Change Institute (GCI) sponsors the forum at the Customs House.

Forum chair and GCI agri-food expert Professor Geoffrey Lawrence said, “As food prices over the next decade are expected to remain up to 45 percent higher than in the previous one, addressing the root cause of hunger – poverty – will be as important as finding technical solutions.”

The forum launches a three-day Food Security Summit through which Australia's role in securing food production will be defined. The global population is expected to reach nine billion by 2050.

According to GCI Food Security research focal area co-leader Professor Michael D'Ochhio, “Currently Australia makes an important contribution to global food security and our exports feed about 40 million people outside Australia; the question is will it be able to continue to do so?”

GCI discussions at the Food Security Summit will be presented to the Federal Government's national reviews of food security.