Rome – The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, the world will face a major food crisis.

 

According to the UN agency, a prolonged closure of the strategic waterway would mark the beginning of a structural shock to the global food system, FAO said in a recent statement.

 

The effects of this shock are expected to emerge within six to twelve months — to the point where a family of four in Europe could end up paying the equivalent of a full meal's cost for just a single loaf of bread, it added.

 

The FAO also noted that rising energy prices have already driven up the cost of wheat and rice.

 

“Experts predict that over the next 12 months, bread prices worldwide could rise by 35 to 45 percent.”