Leaders at a summit of eight developing Islamic nations say the rising costs of food and oil could have dire implications.
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, host of Tuesday's one-day summit in Kuala Lumpur, says soaring food prices, which he says have jumped 75 percent since 2000, threaten the world economy, and could lead to domestic political unrest.
Mr. Abdullah urged the other participating nations to boost food production and cease using farm land for crops solely devoted to biofuels. He says the "zeal for energy security" has led to the global food shortage.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono warned his counterparts they were facing "disaster" if they did not immediately take action on rising oil and food prices.
The summit also includes leaders from Pakistan, Iran, Bangladesh, Egypt, Nigeria and Turkey. It was scheduled to coincide with the summit of leaders of the world's eight most developed nations in northern Japan.
Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani denied his government was involved in Monday's bombing of the Indian Embassy in the Afghan capital of Kabul that killed 41 people.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
