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Agriculture and adaptation

Adapting to climate change

‘Farmers, like other businesses, are beginning to realise that adapting to climate change is crucial to the success of their business. Reluctance to adapt could become a concern as the impacts of climate change become more pronounced, so it’s important to remember that actions to combat climate change also reduce on-farm costs.’ (Jonathan Porritt, Founder of Forum for the Future)

The Stern Report (PDF) quantified the reductions in cost as well as the avoided climate damages in the agricultural sector, based on a collection of existing studies. Adaptation measures could range from low-cost, farm-level changes such as crop variety and changes in planting times, to policy-driven measures such as improved irrigation infrastructure and regional shifts in crop choices. The main findings are that:

  • Introduction of different crops, improved irrigation and using more drought-resistant crops could reduce yield losses by between thirty per cent and sixty per cent.
  • Small shifts in planting dates, crop choice and additional irrigation could reduce the impacts of climate change on production by at least 24 per cent in developed countries.

Adaptation measures

There are adaptation measures that address the risks of climate change and others that allow the exploitation of opportunities related to climate change.

  • Crop production: the agriculture sector could adapt their cultivation practices or diversify into different crops and varieties in response to climate change. This could include the development and use of drought- and/or pest-resistant varieties of crops.
  • Livestock farming: while there might be less need for livestock shelter as a result of increasing average temperatures, there might instead be a shift towards prevention of heat stress and disease. Adaptation measures could include increased vaccination or improved ventilation of existing shelters. (Climate change and the European countryside (PDF), 2006)
  • Soil management: one way to control soil erosion is to maintain soil vegetation cover. The Environment Agency recommends winter barley to improve the stability of the soil and thereby prevent nutrient leaching. Other recommended practices include changes to cultivation times to reduce soil run-off.
  • Water management: farmers face the prospects of flood risks and water shortages. Water-management strategies will become ever more important to face these challenges. The Environment Agency recommends using stored water collected during the winter and rainfall collected by reservoirs for irrigation. In addition, improvements can be made in how water is used, for example by changing the washing regimes for equipment and livestock.
  • Adoption of organic farming methods: using the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements International Basic Standards, it is possible for farmers to facilitate adaptation to climate change. Organic farming methods conserve and grow soil, maintain water quality and use water efficiently and responsibly.

In September 2008, the Environment Agency published an extensive report on Best Farming Practices. This includes information and case studies highlighting how farmers can benefit from best practice to tackle climate change, pollution, water management and flooding. Some farmers report that by following these guidelines, the cost of crop cultivation can be reduced by up to twenty per cent, coupled with the survival of beneficial insects that contribute to natural pest control.

Policy and legislative context

Adaptation to climate change is increasingly at the forefront of national policy development and consequently also in related legislation and regulation. If proactive adaptation is not undertaken within the agricultural sector, the following existing regulations and their inherent aims and objectives will be compromised by the impacts of climate change, so there may be cross-compliance issues.

  • The Nitrates Directive: aims to reduce water pollution by nitrogen as a result of agricultural activity. The extent of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) and the effectiveness of the Action Programmes to tackle nitrate loss will be affected by the impacts of climate change. It is therefore recommended that reviews of the NVZs and action programmes should take into account future impacts and the benefits of adaptation.
  • The Water Framework Directive: aims to improve and integrate the way water bodies are managed, thereby:
    • enhancing the status of, and preventing further deterioration of, aquatic ecosystems and associated wetlands
    • promoting the sustainable use of water
    • reducing pollution, especially by ‘priority’ and ‘priority hazardous’ substances
    • ensuring progressive reduction of groundwater pollution.
  • EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): climate change in the context of the CAP is a relatively recent consideration. Given the importance of the CAP for the UK’s agricultural sector, any changes or amendments to take more significant consideration of climate-change scenarios and the need to adapt could have knock-on effects for the sector. The CAP could play a significant role in guiding the process of adaptation in agriculture by providing farmers with the mechanisms and resources needed to facilitate the change. Adjustments to the CAP through the ‘Health Check’ of 2008 could provide opportunities to examine how to integrate adaptation into agricultural support programmes as well as incentivising farmers to adapt.

Produced in association with Ecofys UK Ltd