Increasingly widespread and severe drought and heat may cause substantial decreases in barley yields worldwide, affecting the supply used to make beer, according to a study released on Monday by the University of East Anglia (UEA).

As the most popular alcoholic drink in the world by volume consumed, the beer sector consumed around 17 percent of global barley production.

The study, which involves UEA researchers, suggests there might be a potential average yield loss of barley ranging from three percent to 17 percent, depending on the severity of the conditions. Decreases in the global supply of barley lead to proportionally larger decreases in barley used to make beer.

"Increasingly, research has begun to project the impacts of climate change on world food production, focusing on staple crops such as wheat, maize, soybean, and rice," said co-ordinator of the study and lead UK author Dabo Guan, professor of climate change economics at UEA's School of International Development.

"However, if adaptation efforts prioritize necessities, climate change may undermine the availability, stability and access to 'luxury' goods to a greater extent than staple foods. People's diet security is equally important to food security in many aspects of society," Guan said.