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}
Date: 2009-04-01
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU action, EU environmental policy, climate change, common agricultural policy, food safety, international cooperation, prevention of pollution, rural region

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN 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} 

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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 influenced 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  services  for  the  European  society  is  directly 
dependent  on  climatic  conditions.  European  farmers  will  need  to  define  their  strategies  for 
production, farm management and investment in face of increasing uncertainty. 

Climate  change  is  one  of  the  many  drivers  that  shape  European  agriculture  and  rural  areas. 
Socio-economic  factors,  international  competition,  technological  development,  as  well  as 
policy  choices  will  determine  the  impact  that  agro-climatic  changes  will  have  on  the  EU 
agricultural  sector.  As  farmers  manage  the  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 production to the changing climatic situation and 
to provide wider ecosystem services 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 policies and enhance co-operation at all levels of governance. 

Complementing  the  White  Paper,  this  document  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 action. It aims at further engaging Member States 
and  the  farming  community  into  a  debate  and  action  on  adaptation  needs  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  processes  that  underpin 
agricultural  systems,  with  both  negative  and  positive  consequences  in  different  EU  regions. 
Rising atmospheric CO2 concentration, higher temperatures, changes in annual and seasonal 
precipitation patterns and in the frequency of extreme events will 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 degradation of agricultural ecosystems could mean 
desertification, resulting in a total loss of the productive capacity of the land in question. 

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In  the  short  term  the  frequency  and  intensity  of  extreme  weather  events  and  seasonal 
variations in precipitation patterns are the factors likely to have the most serious consequences 
for  agriculture.  There  are  wide  geographical  variations  in  the  expected  climatic  conditions 
over the twenty-first century. Some areas will have simultaneous negative and positive effects 
with  unknown  net  results,  as  the  crop  responses  to  climatic  variations  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 the 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 warmer temperatures, enhanced photosynthesis due 
to more CO2 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 crops may become wider, but these benefits will 
only  emerge  from  a  low  level  of  temperature  increase,  and  are  highly  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 rainfall in southern EU and a rise 
in  the  intensity  of  winter  rainfall  in  central  and  northern  EU.  Extreme  weather  conditions, 
such as heat waves and droughts may severely disrupt production, in particular 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  range,  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  cultivations  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  flowering  period  and  winter 
temperature  plays  a  significant  role  in  productivity.  As  warmer  temperatures  will  advance 
both the date of the last spring frosts and the date of flowering, the risk of damage is likely to 
remain  largely  unchanged.  The  risk  of  damage  caused  by  early  autumn  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 risk of frost, a shortening of the ripening period, 
water  stress,  which  can  be  highly  damaging  at  the  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  production  areas  the  variability  of  fruit  production  is  likely  to 
become higher. 

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Livestock  

Dryer  conditions  and  rising  temperatures  will  affect  livestock  activities  in  different  ways, 
including implications for animal health and welfare. Climate change has a complex influence 
on the livestock sector due to the great diversity of production systems in the EU.  

Warming and extreme events, such as heat spells, will have direct impacts on animal health, 
growth  and  output,  as  well  as  on  reproduction.  There  will  also  be  indirect  effects  through 
changes  in  the  productivity  of  pastures  and  forage  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  precipitation  deficits  will  shorten  the  grazing  period  and 
decrease  forage  production  and  its  quality.  In  the  North-Western  humid  areas  moderate 
warming  can,  however,  be  beneficial  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 warming 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  overall  EU  level  the  expected  changes  in  mean 
climatic  variables  will  be  beneficial  for  agricultural  production  for  the  next  three  decades. 
Increasingly  negative  impacts  can,  nevertheless,  be  expected  earlier  than  mid-century  from 
extreme  events.  In  addition  to  disrupting  annual  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 production because of weather-related supply shortfalls. Even though 
the  ultimate  impacts  on  farm  income  depend  on  the  interplay  of  many  factors  such  as  the 
global market and policy support, the higher likelihood of failures in production may lead to 
increasing instability in the economic situation of farmers affected by extreme climate events. 

2.3.  Wider climatic risks for rural areas 

Rural  areas  are  exposed  to  a  wide  range  of  impacts  from  climatic  variations,  beyond  those 
directly affecting agriculture. These include increased risk of flooding, particularly 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 disturbances through storms, fire, and outbreaks of pests and diseases with 
implications for forest growth and production. This will affect economic viability of forestry, 

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mainly  in  southern  areas,  and  the  capacity  of  forests  to  provide  environmental  services, 
including the carbon sink function.  

The  trend  towards  reduction  of  snow  cover  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 water shortages, while a warmer climate can bring 
new tourism opportunities for rural areas in other parts of the EU.  

2.4. 

Adaptive capacity, vulnerability, 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  adaptation  to  short-term 
oscillations. Adaptation of agronomic techniques and farm strategies 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 context. Existing agro-ecological conditions and 
the  experience  in  dealing  with  changing  conditions  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  information,  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 living in remote rural 

areas being most vulnerable; 

–  Access to available technology and infrastructure capacity.  

The  uneven  effects  of  climatic  changes  are  expected  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  significantly  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  perspective  to  the  global  challenge  of  increasing 
agricultural  production  to  keep  pace  with  projected  population  increase,  guaranteeing  food 
security and rural livelihoods while keeping high standards of environmental protection across 
the world.  

In  low-latitude  world  regions,  where  most  developing  countries  are  situated,  even  limited 
additional  warming  will  reduce  crop  yields  and  trigger  higher  yield  variability  with  serious 
local  consequences  for  food  security.  Negative  effects  on  agricultural  yields  will  be 

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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  productivity  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  expected  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  risks  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. Furthermore, by the second half of 
this century global agricultural productivity may start to decrease. 

The combination of changes in the agricultural production potential in different world regions 
and  increased  incidence  of  extreme  events  could  lead  to  greater  variability  of  production, 
contributing to increased volatility of prices and changes in trade flows.  

3. 

ADAPTATION 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 sufficient, but in the longer run adaptation in the 
form of technological and structural changes will become necessary. This will require planned 
strategies based on analysis of local and regional conditions. 

3.1. 

Farm-level adaptation  

Constant  evolution  of  crop  patterns,  farm  management  practices  and  land  use  are  observed 
across  the  EU,  partly  in  response  to  climatic  variation.  Such  farm-level  adaptations  aim  at 
increasing  productivity  and  dealing  with  existing  climatic  conditions,  and  draw  on  farmers' 
current knowledge and experience. Over the next decades, adaptation may need to go beyond 
mere  adjustments  of  current  practice.  Possible  short  to  medium  term  adaptive  solutions 
include:  

–  Adjusting the timing of farm operations, such as planting or sowing dates and treatments;  

–  Technical  solutions,  such  as  protecting  orchards  from  frost  damage  or  improving 

ventilation and cooling systems in animal shelters; 

–  Choosing crops and varieties better 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 genetic diversity and new possibilities 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 water losses, improving irrigation practices, and 

recycling or storing water;  

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–  Improving  soil  management  by  increasing  water  retention  to  conserve  soil  moisture,  and 
landscape  management,  such  as  maintaining  landscape  features  providing  shelter  to 
livestock; 

–  Introducing more heat-tolerant livestock breeds and adapting diet patterns of animals under 

heat stress conditions. 

Individually  or  in  combination  these  solutions  have  substantial  potential  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, climate 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 difficult than adjusting to gradual 
changes  in  mean  climatic  variables.  This  may  require  greater  attention  to  ensuring  stability 
and resilience of agricultural production and farm incomes in vulnerable regions. Diversifying 
farm activities and income sources, with fundamental 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  tailored  to  the  diversity  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  are  at  different  stages  of  preparing  and  developing  national 
adaptation strategies, including for the agricultural sector. Adaptation strategies can enhance 
farmers' awareness of the projected changes, encourage early action and facilitate appropriate 
responses and solutions with long temporal viability. 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 best suited to new conditions,  

–  Building adaptive capacity by awareness raising and provision of salient information and 

advice on farm management, 

–  Enhancing  investment  in  improved  efficiency  of  irrigation  infrastructure  and  water  use 

technologies, as well as management of water resources,  

–  Developing irrigation plans based on thorough assessments of their impacts, future water 
availability  and  water  needs  of  different  users,  taking  account  of  the  balance  between 
demand and supply 

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–  Developing  risk  and  crisis  management  instruments  to  cope  with  the  economic 

consequences of climate-driven events. 

Sector-wide  planning  and  advice  are  needed  because  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 maintain farmers' income in the long term, but 
entail a higher risk in the short term. For instance the use of new varieties or new crops may 
require specific technologies or marketing, which 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 early 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-friendly farming practices. The key objectives of 
adaptation for EU agriculture are to ensure resilience 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  production  to  decoupled  aid  enables  farmers  to 
respond to external requirements, to market signals as well as to developments resulting from 
climate  change.  Rural  development  policy  offers  the  Member  States  a  range  of  measures 
through which they can provide targeted 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  mitigation  and  adaptation,  water  and  biodiversity 
protection, for which further rural development 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 tools available to support adaptation. 

5. 

ORIENTATIONS FOR AN ADAPTATION STRATEGY IN AGRICULTURE 

5.1. 

Prioritising "no regret" measures  

In face of the inherent uncertainties, prioritising "no regret" options  for adaptive action will 
ensure  the  most  cost-effective  approach.  These  are  choices  which  help  cope  with  a  broad 
range  of  plausible  changes  and  induce  socio-economic  or  environmental  co-benefits.  In  the 
agricultural  sector  this  means  enhancing  resilience  of  the  agricultural  ecosystems  by  more 
sustainable  use  of  natural  resources,  in  particular  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.  

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As  indicated  in  the  White  Paper  "Adapting  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  change  on  European  hydrological 
systems, habitats and biodiversity, the maintenance 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  facilitated  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 recognized and further enhanced. 

Current  agri-environmental  measures  contribute  to  this  objective,  but  may  not  always 
sufficiently  enhance  connectivity  between  areas  protecting  biodiversity.  Inthis  context,  the 
applicability  of  rural  development  measures  on  a  territorial  scale  beyond  the  level  or 
individual farms could be considered to help successful adaptation. 

5.3. 

Enhancing resilience of agricultural infrastructure 

Agriculture as a production system is dependent on fixed assets (e.g., equipment, buildings, 
machinery)  and  infrastructure,  which  can  be  impacted  by  extreme  events.  The  potential 
economic  losses  triggered  by  such  events  can  become  a  serious  concern  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.  Therefore  further  developing  preventive  action 
and developing instruments tailored to regional characteristics 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,  agriculture  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 GHG 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  that  provide  co-benefits  in  terms  of  reducing 
emissions  and  increasing  resilience  of  farming  need  to  be  identified  and  promoted.  These 
include, among other, soil and tillage practices that help 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.  

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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  advisory support on climate-related matters to 
farmers  and  agricultural  workers  is  key  for  motivation  and  preparedness  to  adapt.  Various 
means  are  available  such  as  dedicated  courses,  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  disseminating  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 programmes and policy thinking on climate change 
adaptation needs to be encouraged. Exchanging approaches, experience and best practices in 
adaptation options in the agricultural sector between the Member States can advance farming 
practices and production systems best adapted to expected climatic 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  Clearing  House  Mechanism  to  serve  as  a  platform 
for information exchange on climate change impacts and vulnerabilities, will need to include 
a  part  specifically  dedicated  for  sharing  national  developments,  projects  results  and  best 
practices in the agricultural sector.  

5.7. 

Enhancing research on climate and agriculture  

Adaptation  planning  in  agriculture  cannot  only  rely  on  knowledge  about  global  climate 
patterns, but needs detailed information on regional impacts and meaningful assessment of the 
adaptive  options  and  their  feasibility  at  local  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  research2  elaborates  on  the 
needs and directions for EU climate change research and innovation, including those for the 
agriculture sector. Climate change was identified as a priority area by the Standing Committee 
on Agricultural Research (SCAR), which recognised 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 agriculture, 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". 

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In addition, as rural areas are exposed to wider climatic risks and as significant parts of rural 
Europe are characterised by economic multifunctionality, 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  impact  on  rural  sustainability  could  thus  be 
enhanced. 

The  climate  challenge  puts  a  renewed  emphasis  on  the  need  for  continuous  agricultural 
research, at EU and national levels, for example 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 affordable 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 context the issue of support 
to climate and agricultural research. 

A key challenge is also to integrate findings from the physical and agronomic sciences with 
local  knowledge  from  farmers,  so  as  to  develop  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 also in this regard. 

Equally important is to strengthen the capacity of regional institutions to use appropriate tools 
to address climatic changes. Partnerships between national and regional research institutions, 
advisory services and social partners in agriculture as well as setting 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 vulnerability 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 weather 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. 

CONCLUSIONS 

Climate change will require farmers to adapt while they are also called to reduce farm-level 
greenhouse emissions, and to improve agriculture'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 and landscape services, as well as contribute 
to  the  sustainable  development  of  EU  rural  areas.  Climate  change  also  brings  an  additional 
perspective to the challenge 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 good practices, as farm-level changes are a key 
component of adaptation. 

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In the context of the review of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2013 the need to ensure 
favourable  conditions  for  the  adaptation  of  agriculture  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. Public authorities will have a role to play in 
supporting and facilitating climate change adaptation policies. 

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