“Agriculture in general will have to adapt to warmer temperatures and more erratic rainfall patterns to ensure Europe’s food security”
This is one of the stark conclusions reached by scientists at the European Environment Agency (EEA) in a paper they shared with EU leaders in March on the risk associated with rising global temperatures.
The assessment found that southern countries are “hotspots” for climate risks, including energy system disruption due to heat and drought, water shortages affecting economic activity and crop yields, and forest fires threatening ecosystems and homes. Moreover, they warned that the EU is not prepared for their effects.
“Agricultural production is already facing substantial climate risks across Europe”, the paper says, highlighting the potential for food shortages and rising food prices.
Overall, the continent “faces an increasing risk of megadroughts that cover large regions and last for several years, and that is even more severe than recent droughts in Europe”, it says. This will jeopardise people’s health, food production and manufacturing, as well as energy and water supply, river transport and ecosystems.
Against this backdrop, initiatives such as SustaiNext project are more necessary than ever.
