EN    EN EN 
EN    EN  COMMISSION OF THE E UROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 1.4.2009 
SEC(2009) 417 
  
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 
accompanying the  
 
WHITE PAPER 
 
Adapting to climate change: Towards a European framework for action 
  
Adapting to climate change:   
the challenge for European agriculture and rural areas  
{COM(2009) 147 final} 
EN 2   EN COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 
Adapting to climate change:   
the challenge for European agriculture and rural areas  
1. INTRODUCTION  
Over the coming decades agriculture will be in fluenced by climate change both globally and 
within the EU. Even though EU agriculture is technologically  developed, its capacity to 
deliver food and to contribute to ecosystem se rvices for the European society is directly 
dependent on climatic conditions. European farmers will need to define their strategies for production, farm management and investme nt in face of increasing uncertainty.
 
Climate change is one of the many drivers that  shape European agriculture and rural areas. 
Socio-economic factors, intern ational competition, technologi cal development, as well as 
policy choices will determine the impact that agro-climatic changes will have on the EU 
agricultural sector. As farmers manage th e majority of land in the EU, the Common 
Agricultural Policy (CAP) has a role to play in facilitating adaptation to the changing conditions by helping farmers to adapt their pr oduction to the changing climatic situation and 
to provide wider ecosystem servi ces dependent on land management. 
The White Paper 'Adapting to climate change'
1 lays out a European framework for action to 
improve Europe's resilience to climate change, emphasising the need to integrate adaptation 
into all key European policie s and enhance co-operation at all levels of governance. 
Complementing the White Paper, this documen t summarises the main impacts of climate 
change on EU agriculture, examines adaptation needs, describes the implications for the CAP 
and explores possible orientations for future ac tion. It aims at further engaging Member States 
and the farming community into a debate an d action on adaptation n eeds that result from 
climate pressures. 
2. CLIMATE CHANGE : KEY CONCERNS FOR EU AGRICULTURE  
2.1. Impacts on agricultural production 
Climatic changes will have complex effects on  the bio-physical proc esses that underpin 
agricultural systems, with both negative and pos itive consequences in different EU regions. 
Rising atmospheric CO 2 concentration, higher temperatures , changes in annual and seasonal 
precipitation patterns and in the frequency of extreme events wi ll affect the volume, quality 
and stability of food production and the natural environment in which agriculture takes place. 
Climatic variations will have consequences for the availability of water resources, pests and 
diseases and soils, leading to significant changes in the conditions for agriculture and livestock production. In extreme cases, the degrad ation of agricultural ecosystems could mean 
desertification, resulting in a total loss of the pr oductive capacity of the land in question. 
                                                
 
1 COM(2009) 147. 
EN 3   EN In the short term the frequency and intens ity of extreme weathe r events and seasonal 
variations in precipitation patterns are the factor s likely to have the most  serious consequences 
for agriculture. There are wide geographical vari ations in the expected climatic conditions 
over the twenty-first century. Some areas will ha ve simultaneous negative and positive effects 
with unknown net results, as the crop responses to climatic variatio ns are still not well 
understood. Although climate change is a global process, its local impacts are diverse.  Overall 
net effects on farm activities will vary across th e EU and between farm types within the same 
region.  
Annex 1 summarises the main aspects and impacts of climatic changes in different EU 
regions. 
Crops 
Some aspects of climate change such as wa rmer temperatures, enha nced photosynthesis due 
to more CO 2 in the air and longer growing seasons can have moderately positive effects on 
the productivity of arable crops  in some areas, at least until mid-century. In northern regions 
yields may increase and the range of possible crop s may become wider, but these benefits will 
only emerge from a low level of temperature increase, and are high ly uncertain. Further 
warming will be increasingly detrimental because  plant growth and yields are conditioned by 
temperature thresholds linked to the key reproductive stages. The acceleration of the 
vegetative cycle can have negative effects on grain filling and quality. 
A range of adverse impacts can be expected  from the increased inter-annual and seasonal 
variability of rainfall, with an expected reduction of summer rainfa ll in southern EU and a rise 
in the intensity of winter rainfall in centr al and northern EU. Extreme weather conditions, 
such as heat waves and droughts may severely disr upt production, in partic ular during critical 
phases of crop growth.  
The production of vegetables  is highly sensitive to water availability and to even minor stress 
related to temperature outside the optimal ra nge, making this type of production highly 
vulnerable to climatic changes. 
For perennial crops  extreme events represent a serious risk as they can affect production 
capacity over several years. Perennial cultivati ons are also affected by the move forward in 
time of the phenological phases, while having fewer possibilities than arable crops to adapt by 
changing the calendar of farming operations. 
Many fruit  trees are susceptible to spring frosts  during the flowerin g period and winter 
temperature plays a significant role in produc tivity. As warmer temperatures will advance 
both the date of the last spring fr osts and the date of flowering, the risk of damage is likely to 
remain largely unchanged. The ri sk of damage caused by early au tumn frosts is likely to 
decrease, while water need is likely to rise . Difficulties related to pests and diseases are 
expected to increase.  
Impacts on the wine  sector include a higher ri sk of frost, a shortening of the ripening period, 
water stress, which can be highly damaging at th e maturity stage, and changes in pest and 
disease patterns. The European area suitable for wine and olive production may expand north 
and eastwards. In the current pr oduction areas the variability of  fruit production is likely to 
become higher. 
EN 4   EN Livestock  
Dryer conditions and rising temperatures will a ffect livestock activitie s in different ways, 
including implications for animal health and we lfare. Climate change has a complex influence 
on the livestock sector due to the great di versity of production systems in the EU.  
Warming and extreme events, such as heat spells , will have direct im pacts on animal health, 
growth and output, as well as on reproduction. Th ere will also be indirect effects through 
changes in the productivity of pastures and fo rage crops, and in the distribution of animal 
diseases.  
Highly adverse impacts are likely to be felt in extensive grazing systems which are directly 
dependent on climate conditions for the provision of feed and shelter. In Mediterranean areas 
warmer temperatures and summer precipitati on deficits will shorten the grazing period and 
decrease forage production and its quality. In  the North-Western humid areas moderate 
warming can, however, be benefici al to livestock activities in the short to medium term 
because of the productivity increase of pastures.  
2.2. Economic effects of climate-related risks 
At EU level, no correlation has been established between the wa rming of the last decades and 
the level of crop yields, which have generally increased. The effects of technology and farm 
management improvements and continuous adaptation of farming practices have so far largely outweighed the impact of climate change. However, the variability of crop yields has increased since the beginning of the century as  a consequence of extreme climatic events, 
such as the drought and summer heat  of 2003 and the spring drought of 2007. 
Most assessments anticipate that at the overa ll EU level the expected changes in mean 
climatic variables will be bene ficial for agricultural producti on for the next three decades. 
Increasingly negative impacts can , nevertheless, be expected ear lier than mid-century from 
extreme events. In addition to disrupting annua l production, climate extremes can severely 
affect farm infrastructure causing major economic losses. 
Although forecasts of climate change impacts on agricultural productivity and prices are 
uncertain, it is expected that the increase in extreme events will have consequences on the volatility of agricultural producti on because of weather-related supply shortfalls. Even though 
the ultimate impacts on farm income depend on th e interplay of many factors such as the 
global market and policy support, the higher lik elihood of failures in production may lead to 
increasing instability in the ec onomic situation of farmers affected by extreme climate events. 
2.3. Wider climatic risks for rural areas 
Rural areas are exposed to a wi de range of impacts from clim atic variations, beyond those 
directly affecting agriculture. These include in creased risk of flooding, pa rticularly in Central 
and Northern regions, and risks for damage to infrastructure due to other extreme events. 
Increasing competition for water between different  uses will also concern rural population and 
economies. 
Forest ecosystems and forestry are important in  many rural areas. Climatic changes will lead 
to increased risk of disturban ces through storms, fire, and outbreak s of pests and diseases with 
implications for forest growth and production. This  will affect economic viability of forestry, 
EN 5   EN mainly in southern areas, and the capacity of  forests to provide environmental services, 
including the carbon sink function.  
The trend towards reduction of snow cove r in mountainous areas will have negative 
consequences for winter tourism and on rural economies dependent on income from tourism. 
This can also be the case for areas facing wate r shortages, while a warmer climate can bring 
new tourism opportunities for rural ar eas in other parts of the EU.  
2.4. Adaptive capacity, vulnerabili ty, and regional differences 
Adaptation to weather conditions has always been part of farm management and to some 
extent adaptation to climate change follows the same principles as ad aptation to short-term 
oscillations. Adaptation of agr onomic techniques and farm stra tegies is already happening. In 
the coming decades, however, the magnitude of  climatic changes may exceed the adaptation 
capacity of many farmers. 
The vulnerability of farming varies across the EU depending on the exposure to adverse 
climate impacts and on the socio-economic cont ext. Existing agro-eco logical conditions and 
the experience in dealing with changing cond itions influence farmers' adaptive capacity. 
Socio-economic factors defining resilience include:  
– Farm characteristics such as production type, size of the farm, level of intensity;  
– Diversity of cropping and livestock systems, and the presence of other income sources 
apart from agriculture; 
– Access to relevant informati on, skills and knowledge about climate trends and adaptive 
solutions; the role played by advisory services in facilitating adaptation; 
– General socio-economic situation, farmers with limited resources or li ving in remote rural 
areas being most vulnerable; 
– Access to available technology and infrastructure capacity.  
The uneven effects of climatic changes are ex pected to amplify regional differences and 
exacerbate economic disparities between European rural areas. In the long run, climatic 
pressures may lead to further marginalisation of  agriculture or even to the abandonment of 
agricultural land in some parts of the EU, while others could see an improvement in 
agricultural conditions and farm  incomes. This could signif icantly affect landscapes and 
biodiversity and influence the overall development of European regions.  
2.5. Global impacts on agriculture and food security  
Climate change brings an additional perspe ctive to the global challenge of increasing 
agricultural production to keep pace with pr ojected population increase, guaranteeing food 
security and rural livelihoods wh ile keeping high standards of environmental protection across 
the world.  
In low-latitude world regions, where most de veloping countries are situated, even limited 
additional warming will reduce cr op yields and trigger higher yield variability with serious 
local consequences for food security. Nega tive effects on agricultural yields will be 
EN 6   EN exacerbated by more frequent extreme weather events. This is likely to increase the 
dependence on food imports and the number  of people at risk of famine.  
At higher latitudes increasing pr oductivity is expected to be predominant in the next few 
decades. Despite the regional changes in production, overall global food production in the coming two or three decades will not be threatened and is expe cted to keep pace with the 
increasing food demand of the growing world population. However, existing projections do 
not always fully account for some of the risk s of extreme climate events and outbreaks of 
pests and diseases, which could worsen the current picture regarding climate impacts on 
productivity in both developed and developing countries. Furthe rmore, by the second half of 
this century global agricultural pr oductivity may star t to decrease. 
The combination of changes in the agricultural production potential in different world regions 
and increased incidence of extreme events co uld lead to greater variability of production, 
contributing to increased volatility of prices and changes in trade flows.  
3. A
DAPTATION OF EU AGRICULTURE TO CLIMATIC CHANGES  
Adaptive measures in agriculture  range from technological solutions to adjustments in farm 
management or structures, and to political changes,  such as adaptation plans. In the short-term 
autonomous farm level adaptation may be suffici ent, but in the longer run adaptation in the 
form of technological and structural changes wi ll become necessary. This will require planned 
strategies based on analysis of  local and regional conditions. 
3.1. Farm-level adaptation  
Constant evolution of crop pa tterns, farm management prac tices and land use are observed 
across the EU, partly in response to climatic variation. Such farm-level adaptations aim at 
increasing productivity and deal ing with existing climatic condi tions, and draw on farmers' 
current knowledge and experience. Over the ne xt decades, adaptation may need to go beyond 
mere adjustments of current practi ce. Possible short to medium term adaptive solutions  
include:  
– Adjusting the timing of farm ope rations, such as planting or sowing dates and treatments;  
– Technical solutions, such as protecting or chards from frost damage or improving 
ventilation and cooling systems in animal shelters; 
– Choosing crops and varieties bett er adapted to the expected length of the growing season 
and water availability, and more resistant to  new conditions of temperature and humidity; 
– Adapting crops with the help of existing gene tic diversity and new po ssibilities offered by 
biotechnology; 
– Improving the effectiveness of pest and disease control through for instance better 
monitoring, diversified crop rotations, or integrated pest management methods; 
– Using water more efficiently by reducing wate r losses, improving irrigation practices, and 
recycling or storing water;  
EN 7   EN – Improving soil management by increasing water retention to conserve soil moisture, and 
landscape management, such as maintainin g landscape features providing shelter to 
livestock; 
– Introducing more heat-tolerant livestock breeds and adapting di et patterns of animals under 
heat stress conditions. 
Individually or in combination these solutions  have substantial poten tial to counterbalance 
adverse climatic changes and to take advantage of positive ones. Many of these adaptation options can be implemented by farmers today or in the near future, provided that they have 
sufficient knowledge and guidelines. However, c limate risks are only one aspect influencing 
farmers' decisions, which involve many other socio-economic and market considerations. 
Coping with the increasing climatic  variability will be more diffi cult than adjusting to gradual 
changes in mean climatic variables. This may require greater attenti on to ensuring stability 
and resilience of agricultural  production and farm incomes in vulnerable regions. Diversifying 
farm activities and income sources, with fundament al changes in farm structures and in some 
cases, additional investments, may become necessary. 
3.2. Sectoral-level adaptation 
Autonomous farm level adaptation may find its limits as climate change impacts gradually 
become more drastic. Sector-wide responses ta ilored to the diversit y of regional and local 
agriculture and steered by public authorities may be needed to facilitate a broader range and 
better coordinated adaptive action, and to help avoid maladaptation, which could have serious 
environmental and economic consequences. 
National and regional adaptation strategies can  provide a coherent framework for enabling 
adaptation. EU Member States ar e at different stages of prep aring and developing national 
adaptation strategies, including fo r the agricultural sector. Adaptation strategies can enhance 
farmers' awareness of the projected changes, en courage early action and facilitate appropriate 
responses and solutions with long temporal viabi lity. The social partners in agriculture can be 
conducive to such adaptation strategies and should be involved in this process.  
Sectoral-level adaptation action may include:  – Identification of vulnerable areas and sectors and assessment of needs and opportunities for 
changing crops and varieties in response to climate trends,  
– Support to agricultural research  and to experimental production aiming at crop selection 
and development of varieties be st suited to new conditions,  
– Building adaptive capacity by awareness raisin g and provision of salient information and 
advice on farm management, 
– Enhancing investment in improved efficiency of irrigation infrastr ucture and water use 
technologies, as well as management of water resources,  
– Developing irrigation plans base d on thorough assessments of their impacts, future water 
availability and water needs of different users, taking account of the balance between 
demand and supply 
EN 8   EN – Developing risk and crisis management instruments to cope with the economic 
consequences of climate-driven events. 
Sector-wide planning and advice are needed becau se some of the measures for adjusting to 
new climatic conditions are likely to be costly and need significant investments by farmers. Also, some adaptation measures may help to main tain farmers' income in the long term, but 
entail a higher risk in the short term. For inst ance the use of new varieties or new crops may 
require specific technologies or marketing, wh ich will need time to develop successfully.  
Adaptation planning is challenging because of uncertainties in climatic developments and 
their locally specific impacts, which makes it difficult to identify the optimal changes in 
agricultural systems. To be successful adaptation  planning must start earl y and be flexible to 
deal with the uncertainties.  
4. CAP
 – CONTRIBUTING TO ADAPTATION  
Projected climatic developments may affect the achievement of CAP objectives of ensuring 
availability of sufficient food at  reasonable prices, contributing to the viability of farming and 
rural areas, and promoting environmentally-frie ndly farming practices. The key objectives of 
adaptation for EU agriculture are to ensure re silience to climatic variations, socio-economic 
viability of agriculture and rural areas, and coherence with environmental protection objectives.  
The present CAP provides a basic level of income security to farmers as well as a framework 
for sustainable management of the natural environment in which agricultural activity takes place. The shift from support linked to produc tion to decoupled aid enables farmers to 
respond to external requirements, to market signal s as well as to develo pments resulting from 
climate change. Rural development policy offers  the Member States a range of measures 
through which they can provide targ eted support to activities that  contribute to adaptation to 
climatic changes. 
The CAP "Health Check" represents a further step  in the direction of sustainable agriculture 
with specific emphasis on climate change mitig ation and adaptation, water and biodiversity 
protection, for which further rural developmen t funding has been agreed. The challenge and 
opportunity for the EU and its Member States in  the period up to the end of 2013 is to make 
the best possible use of the CAP t ools available to support adaptation. 
5. 
ORIENTATIONS FOR AN ADAPTATION STRATEGY IN AGRICULTURE  
5.1. Prioritising "no regret" measures  
In face of the inherent uncertainties, prioritisi ng "no regret" options for adaptive action will 
ensure the most cost-effective approach. Thes e are choices which help cope with a broad 
range of plausible changes and induce socio-ec onomic or environmental co-benefits. In the 
agricultural sector this means enhancing resi lience of the agricultural ecosystems by more 
sustainable use of natural resources, in partic ular water and soils. By  protecting the natural 
resource base on which agriculture depends the sector can better build resilience to climatic 
changes. Such responses will ensure that management decisions implemented over the next decades do not undermine the ability to cope with potential larger impacts later in the century.  
EN 9   EN As indicated in the White Paper "Adaptin g to Climate change: Towards a European 
framework for action", it is also necessary to assess which requirements regarding water 
management should be further integrated into relevant CAP instruments. Adaptation measures 
concerning agriculture can also be integrated  in the national implementation of the Water 
Framework Directive and the Floods Directive. 
5.2. Strengthening the role of agriculture as a provider of ecosystem services 
Taking into account the projected impacts of climate ch ange on European hydrological 
systems, habitats and biodiversity, the mainte nance of ecosystems through the management of 
agricultural land has a central role to play in  contributing to overall resilience to climate 
change. Agriculture can, for example, assist in  watershed management, protection of habitats 
and biodiversity as well as in the maintenance and restoration of multifunctional landscapes. Among other, migration of species can be fac ilitated by establishing networks of wildlife 
corridors on agricultural land, and the water holding capacity of grazing land can be used to 
reduce the risk of flooding. The potential role  of agriculture in providing such "green 
infrastructure" could be rec ognized and further enhanced. 
Current agri-environmental measures contribut e to this objective, but may not always 
sufficiently enhance connectivity between areas protecting biodiversity. Inthis context, the 
applicability of rural devel opment measures on a territori al scale beyond the level or 
individual farms could be consider ed to help successful adaptation. 
5.3. Enhancing resilience of agr icultural infrastructure 
Agriculture as a producti on system is dependent on fixed as sets (e.g., equipment, buildings, 
machinery) and infrastructure, which can be  impacted by extreme events. The potential 
economic losses triggered by such events can b ecome a serious concer n to the sector, in 
particular because in agriculture the value of fixed assets tends to be significant compared to 
the average annual output and farm income. Th erefore further developing preventive action 
and developing instruments tailored to regional ch aracteristics to cope with potential damage 
is necessary.  
5.4. Developing synergies between adaptation and mitigation  
Agricultural activities are an important source of nitrous oxide  and methane emissions, which 
contribute to global warming. In the EU, agri culture can contribute to climate change 
mitigation by reducing its emissions, by the production of renewable energies and bio-
products, and by storing carbon in farmland soils.  
To address the double challenge of reducing G HG emissions while at the same time coping 
with the changing climate, it will be necessary  to ensure synergies between adaptation and 
mitigation as much as possible. Measures th at provide co-benefits in terms of reducing 
emissions and increasing resilience of farmi ng need to be identified and promoted. These 
include, among other, soil and till age practices that he lp maintain and increase organic carbon 
in soils, and protection and management of pastures. Organic farming has potential for 
mitigation through its efficient nutrient cycles and soil management, and as it usually implies 
higher diversity and high level of knowledge of  the functioning of the farm ecosystem, it is 
also likely to be more resilient to climate change.  
EN 10   EN Possible conflicts between objectives should be considered when deciding about appropriate 
measures, and trade-offs may in some cases be necessary. Member States may use rural 
development funds to implement these measures.  
5.5. Improving the adaptive capacity of farmers 
Enhancing the adaptive capacity of farmers is  a necessary condition for sustaining adaptation 
in agriculture. Strengthening information and ad visory support on climate-related matters to 
farmers and agricultural workers is key for mo tivation and preparedness to adapt. Various 
means are available such as dedicated course s, specialised press,  use of communication 
technologies. It is also important to include  climate change into educational systems for 
young farmers, farm workers and apprentices. Farm  advisory services could be developed so 
that they can become an instrument for di sseminating regionally-specific information and 
practical adaptive solutions enhancing farmers' skills to respond to future changes.  
The measures adopted in the framework of  the CAP "Health Check" provide additional 
possibilities, within the rural development policy, for funding dissemination and training 
programmes, and for using farm advisory services. 
5.6. Facilitating co-operation between Member States 
Development of national and sub-national prog rammes and policy thinking on climate change 
adaptation needs to be encouraged. Exchanging approaches, experience and best practices in 
adaptation options in the agricultural sector be tween the Member States can advance farming 
practices and production systems best adapted to expected clim atic developments. A technical 
working group on agriculture, supporting the Steering Group on Impacts and Adaptation, proposed by the White Paper, will be set up by the end of 2009. 
The Commission initiative to establish a Clear ing House Mechanism to serve as a platform 
for information exchange on climate change imp acts and vulnerabilities, will need to include 
a part specifically dedicated for sharing na tional developments, projects results and best 
practices in the agricultural sector.  
5.7. Enhancing research on climate and agriculture  
Adaptation planning in agriculture cannot onl y rely on knowledge about global climate 
patterns, but needs detailed info rmation on regional impacts and meaningful assessment of the 
adaptive options and their feasibility at loca l and farm level. Improving and refining the 
spatial and time scales of the assessments of expected climatic impacts and vulnerability, and 
a better understanding of the interactions between agriculture and climate is essential. A recent Commission Communication on European agricultural research
2 elaborates on the 
needs and directions for EU climate change research and innovation, including those for the 
agriculture sector. Climate change was identifie d as a priority area by the Standing Committee 
on Agricultural Research (SCAR), which recognis ed a significant gap in the coordination of 
research at European level. A working group of  national programme managers has been set up 
to consider how climate change affects agricu lture, and how agriculture can suitably adapt to 
and mitigate these effects. 
                                                 
2 COM(2008) 862 "Towards a coherent strategy for a European Agricultural Research Agenda". 
EN 11   EN In addition, as rural ar eas are exposed to wider climatic risk s and as significant parts of rural 
Europe are characterised by economic multifuncti onality, an integrated understanding of the 
impacts of climate change on rural economies and societies is important. Socio-economic 
research on the climate challenge and its imp act on rural sustainabi lity could thus be 
enhanced. 
The climate challenge puts a renewed emphasi s on the need for co ntinuous agricultural 
research, at EU and national levels, for exampl e on development of crops, varieties and herds 
better adapted to future conditions. Mitigation will also need to be supported by research 
efforts to further develop suitable and affo rdable technology and innovation. The forthcoming 
interim evaluation of the 7th Research Framework Programme  provides an opportunity to 
review the balance among thematic priorities, addressing in that cont ext the issue of support 
to climate and agricultural research. 
A key challenge is also to integrate findings from the physical and ag ronomic sciences with 
local knowledge from farmers, so as to deve lop robust adaptation strategies, which, over a 
range of climate and socio-economic scenarios, can minimize the negative impacts of climate 
change. The Farm Advisory System can be an important tool al so in this regard. 
Equally important is to strengthen the capacity of regional institutions to use appropriate tools 
to address climatic changes. Partnerships betw een national and regional research institutions, 
advisory services and social partners in agricu lture as well as setti ng up of regional networks 
providing information to farm communities will help to design adequate site-specific strategies.  
5.8. Developing vulnerability indicators 
Developing specific indicators for agriculture such as an index for adaptive capacity and 
vulnerability could be explored. The identification of vulnerabil ity would need to be carried 
out at low spatial scale, on the basis of current sensibility to climate variability and natural hazards as well as scenarios of changes in weat her patterns. Building a vulnerability indicator, 
including the aspect of adaptive capacity, will require a multi-dimensional approach 
combining climatic, environmental and socio-economic factors. 
6. C
ONCLUSIONS  
Climate change will require farmers to adapt wh ile they are also called to reduce farm-level 
greenhouse emissions, and to improve agricultur e's environmental performance. Developing a 
progressively evolving and comprehensive response  to climate change is needed to maintain 
the resilience and competitiveness of EU agriculture so that it can  continue to play its role as 
supplier of high quality food and environmental a nd landscape services, as  well as contribute 
to the sustainable development of EU rural ar eas. Climate change also  brings an additional 
perspective to the cha llenge of food security. 
Adaptation is a long-term process which needs to evolve over the coming decades according 
to the climatic trends and by building on a growing body of knowledge and practical 
experience. In this process, it is important to further engage the farming community in the 
discussion on adaptation needs and in sharing go od practices, as farm-level changes are a key 
component of adaptation. 
EN 12   EN In the context of the review of the Common Agri cultural Policy after 2013 the need to ensure 
favourable conditions for the adaptation of ag riculture and rural areas will need to be 
examined. Effective adaptation and adoption of  new technologies, which contribute both to 
mitigation and the long term viability of farming, will require investments and planning efforts beyond the capacity of individual farms. P ublic authorities will have a role  to play in 
supporting and facilitating climat e change adaptation policies.