Climate Change: Europe faces 50% farm loss by 2050

A report by the European Environmental Agency (EEA) has projected that the effects of climate change will cause a 50% reduction in agricultural productivity over the next 30 years.

The report focused on significant issues related to climate change that affect agriculture in the European Union (EU) and its outlook for the years ahead.

Also, it provided an overview of how EU policies and programs address adaptation to climate change and provided examples of workable and effective adaptation measures.

The report noted that “Climate impacts have led to poorer harvests and higher production costs, affecting price, quantity and the quality of farmed products in parts of Europe.

“While climate change is projected to improve conditions for growing crops in parts of northern Europe, the opposite is true for crop productivity in southern Europe.

“According to projections using a high-end emission scenario, yields of non-irrigated crops like wheat, corn and sugar beet are projected to decrease in southern Europe by up to 50 % by 2050. This could result in a substantial drop in farm income by 2050, with large regional variations.”

It added that “In a similar scenario, farmland values are projected to decrease in parts of southern Europe by more than 80 % by 2100, which could result in land abandonment. Trade patterns are also impacted, which in turn affects agricultural income.

“While food security is not under threat in the EU, increased food demand worldwide could exert pressure on food prices in the coming decades.”