{"id":2201581,"date":"2026-10-16T05:02:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T02:02:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2201581"},"modified":"2026-10-16T05:02:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T02:02:22","slug":"extreme-weather-is-decimating-europes-crops-these-farmers-have-a-solution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2201581","title":{"rendered":"Extreme weather is decimating Europe\u2019s crops. These farmers have a solution"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/94\/58\/21\/1200x675_cmsv2_4587184f-6477-5547-a807-84c78dd6f3e7-9945821.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2932617-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2932617\" data-cid=\"9947365\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2932617-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/94\/73\/65\/189x106_cmsv2_7e0ecbbf-9cee-548f-8ba4-f875ab4686d5-9947365.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Europe Today\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe Today<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \"><span class=\"c-article-title__prefix--red\">Live.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>    Zelenskyy in Brussels as Kyiv looks to Europe amid tension with US\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2933864-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1\" data-nid=\"2933864\" data-cid=\"9953323\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2933864-label-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/95\/33\/23\/189x106_cmsv2_d464dbdf-8e35-5bc1-aa10-65df67b38d42-9953323.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Thwaites Glacier, often referred to as the Doomsday Glacier.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Climate<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    The Doomsday Glacier is \u2018committed\u2019 to melting. Can we stop it?\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2934074-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1\" data-nid=\"2934074\" data-cid=\"9954198\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2934074-label-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/95\/41\/98\/189x106_cmsv2_16d970e3-8ea5-5aca-b55b-1eda78eaa979-9954198.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"IHOR ZHOVKVA, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe Today<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Ukraine pushes for European alternatives to US air defences, Starlink\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2934002-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1\" data-nid=\"2934002\" data-cid=\"9953865\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2934002-label-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/95\/38\/65\/189x106_cmsv2_b2ba8273-952d-5803-9fe4-c6d533e81692-9953865.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Volodymyr Zelenskyy will join the second day of the EU summit.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \"><span class=\"c-article-title__prefix--red\">Live.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>    EU summit: Leaders to rally behind Zelenskyy amid row with Trump\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          Earth<\/p>\n<p>                          Earth News<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            Extreme weather is decimating Europe\u2019s crops. These farmers have a solution<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-controller=\"video-player\" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/94\/58\/21\/1536x864_cmsv2_4587184f-6477-5547-a807-84c78dd6f3e7-9945821.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"Gunnar Thelin, an EARA farmer, farms V\u00e4stra Gatug\u00e5rd, a 5-hectare holding in Vedersl\u00f6v, Sweden, where he manages regenerative pasture and grassland. \"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              Gunnar Thelin, an EARA farmer, farms V\u00e4stra Gatug\u00e5rd, a 5-hectare holding in Vedersl\u00f6v, Sweden, where he manages regenerative pasture and grassland.<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">Gunnar Thelin via EARA<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a0Gunnar Thelin via EARA\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspAngela Symons\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1792126942\">\n         Published on<br \/>\n            <time datetime=\"2026-10-16 07:02:22 +02:00\">16\/10\/2026 &#8211; 7:02 GMT+2<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links 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loading=\"lazy\"><span>Telegram<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-telegram.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"telegram\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-vk.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"vk\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>VK<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-vk.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"vk\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-bluesky.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"bluesky\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Bluesky<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-bluesky.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"bluesky\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-threads.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"threads\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Threads<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-threads.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"threads\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"whatsapp\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Whatsapp<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"whatsapp\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        World Food Day: Europe is \u2018losing hundreds of farms a day\u2019. Crop diversification and subsidies that pay for outcomes could save them, farmers say.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content c-article-content--earth js-article-content\">\n<p>Almonds decimated by frost, tomatoes disrupted by heat, and Halloween pumpkins shrunk by drought: it\u2019s been a punishing year for agriculture in Europe.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The hot, dry summer \u2013 which would have been \u201c<strong>virtually impossible<\/strong>&#8221; if it weren\u2019t for climate change \u2013 reduced the continent\u2019s forecast grain harvest by an estimated 16.7 million tonnes, costing farmers more than \u20ac3 billion, according to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter this summer, many European farmers are on the brink,\u201d says Josefine Herz, managing director of the European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture (EARA). <\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne year prices collapse because they grew too much; the next, <strong>drought<\/strong> punishes them for growing at all, and each swing hands a bigger share to the same few processors and retailers who are increasing prices on the consumer side.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>French vegetable growers\u2019 association L\u00e9gumes de France warned in July that losses in some sectors could reach 50 per cent. <\/p>\n<p>Disruptions to shipping through the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>, triggered by the war on Iran, have added to pressure on fuel and <strong>fertiliser supplies<\/strong>, while drought has <strong>restricted cargo traffic<\/strong> on some European waterways. Together, these supply-chain problems are adding to concerns about the cost of farming and the security of food supplies.<\/p>\n<p>But could changing the way we farm pave the way for a more certain future?<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id data-event=\"widget_related\">\n<div class=\"c-widget-related__title\"><b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b><\/div>\n<ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\" id=\"abe-article-related-1\">\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">\u2018An underused tool\u2019: How regenerative farmers are shielding Spanish land from wildfires<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">Climate damage already \u2018locked in\u2019 \u2013 but these 10 insights show our future is still being decided<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Diversification of crops helps farmers weather the extremes<\/h2>\n<p>At <strong>Curly Creek Ranch<\/strong> in Spain\u2019s Basque Country, tomatoes \u2013 one of the farm\u2019s highest earners at \u20ac7\/kg \u2013 stopped flowering in the extreme heat. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cImagine the length of the tomato plant and the middle third has a gap without fruit. We never saw that before,\u201d says farmer Meghan Sapp, who is also <strong>EARA<\/strong>\u2019s external relations director. Flowering has since resumed, and she hopes a later-than-usual season will make up some of the shortfall. <\/p>\n<p>A <strong>lack of water<\/strong> has also affected the farm\u2019s Halloween pumpkins, which are smaller than usual this year, while high temperatures left corn with \u201cearly signs of burning on the leaves, which we\u2019d never seen before\u201d, says Meghan.<\/p>\n<p>The heat also exposed weaknesses in the local water supply, including leaky infrastructure: Curly Creek Ranch repeatedly received less than its expected daily allocation, forcing authorities to deliver 50,000 litres by tanker.<\/p>\n<p>But diversification has helped spread the risk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMany years we don\u2019t get a single aubergine due to lack of heat and yet we plant them anyway, just in case,\u201d Meghan explains. \u201cThis year that bet paid off\u2026 for the first time ever we had a huge crop.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n<div class=\"widget__contents\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/94\/58\/21\/808x454_cmsv2_20893a66-00dc-5115-a939-5f4c17880137-9945821.jpg\" alt=\"Farmer Yanniek Schoonhoven: Owner of La Junquera farm and co-founder of the Regeneration Academy.\"><figcaption class=\"widget__caption\"><span class=\"widget__captionWrap\"><span class=\"widget__captionText\">Farmer Yanniek Schoonhoven: Owner of La Junquera farm and co-founder of the Regeneration Academy.<\/span><span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Yanniek Schoonhoven via Commonland<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s a tactic that\u2019s also working for farmers further south in Spain.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHistorically, our farm depended heavily on cereals,\u201d says Yanniek Schoonhoven, who owns <strong>La Junquera<\/strong> farm in Murcia. \u201cWe have gradually diversified\u2026 looking for systems that are better suited to an increasingly unpredictable climate.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Aromatic plants like rosemary, lavender, sage and oregano are particularly well adapted to dry <strong>Mediterranean<\/strong> conditions. They also fetch good prices: around \u20ac2,000 per hectare, with costs of about \u20ac1,000, according to Yanniek. Pistachios, which also cope well in a dry climate, bring in even more: around \u20ac2,350 per hectare with similar costs. <\/p>\n<p>But frost during a critical period wiped out La Junquera\u2019s almonds, a \u201cvery significant loss\u201d of around \u20ac700\u2013\u20ac1,050 per hectare.<\/p>\n<h2>The challenges of branching out from commodity crops<\/h2>\n<p>Despite the attractive margins on certain <strong>drought-resilient crops<\/strong>, it\u2019s not a simple switch.<\/p>\n<p>While aromatics can be distilled into essential oils, a higher-value product than grain, \u201cthese markets require processing, investment and reliable buyers\u201d, explains Yanniek. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Cereals<\/strong> and oilseeds, by contrast, are commodity crops: standardised products sold in bulk, with prices largely dictated by wider markets. Farmers may have established buyers for their harvests, but have little leverage to charge more for climate resilience. At La Junquera, wheat brings in around \u20ac600 per hectare against roughly \u20ac500 in costs, according to Yanniek.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id data-event=\"widget_related\">\n<div class=\"c-widget-related__title\"><b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b><\/div>\n<ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\" id=\"abe-article-related-2\">\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">From tigers to turtles: The conservation success stories that prove there\u2019s still hope for wildlife<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Subsidies tend to favour these crops, though. The EU\u2019s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) pays basic income support by hectares <strong>farmed<\/strong>, not by crop type or output, so more funding naturally flows to large-scale farms which often grow commodities. The EU also steps in if market prices for commodity crops fall below a certain threshold.<\/p>\n<p>Yet commodities are not immune to <strong>extreme weather<\/strong>. On Gut Weimarschmieden, a 700-hectare organic conservation agriculture farm in Fladungen, Germany, summer barley and winter <strong>wheat<\/strong> struggled in the heat, says manager Maximillian Krimm, while the cornfields produced about 17 tonnes instead of the usual 25 to 30. <\/p>\n<p>Spelt and canola fared better. Maximillian is also considering emmer, an old wheat variety whose yields are 20 to 30 per cent lower than conventional wheat, for only a slightly higher price. \u201cIn general we don\u2019t grow much that\u2019s lower value because the prices don\u2019t justify it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n<div class=\"widget__contents\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/94\/58\/21\/808x454_cmsv2_a55ee352-d8f0-5568-a0f8-5de600a75d6c-9945821.jpg\" alt=\"EARA farmer Maximillian Krimm manages Gut Weimarschmieden in Fladungen, Germany, producing rapeseed and flax oils alongside arable crops and an agritourism operation.\"><figcaption class=\"widget__caption\"><span class=\"widget__captionWrap\"><span class=\"widget__captionText\">EARA farmer Maximillian Krimm manages Gut Weimarschmieden in Fladungen, Germany, producing rapeseed and flax oils alongside arable crops and an agritourism operation.<\/span><span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Maximillian Krimm via EARA<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Restoring soil health can turn things around for Europe\u2019s farmers<\/h2>\n<p>Commodity farming also favours intensive methods that deplete soil and generate emissions, not least from synthetic fertiliser \u2013 and crop choice alone won\u2019t fix that.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA drought-tolerant crop planted into dead, compacted soil in a biodiversity dead zone will still struggle, because there\u2019s nothing left to hold the water when it comes,\u201d says Lily Maxwell-Lwin, head of advocacy at international non-profit <strong>Commonland<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Her team works with local communities across more than 50 countries to restore degraded landscapes using a holistic approach that blends social impact, biodiversity restoration, financial return and pride in place.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n<div class=\"widget__contents\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/94\/58\/21\/808x454_cmsv2_66857e6e-bdd1-52a7-bb0a-2b0623c5b03f-9945821.jpg\" alt=\"Lily Maxwell-Lwin is head of advocacy at Commonland , an international non-profit that works with local people to restore degraded landscapes using a holistic approach.\"><figcaption class=\"widget__caption\"><span class=\"widget__captionWrap\"><span class=\"widget__captionText\">Lily Maxwell-Lwin is head of advocacy at Commonland , an international non-profit that works with local people to restore degraded landscapes using a holistic approach.<\/span><span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Commonland<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cFor most arable farms in our region, years of tillage, monoculture and synthetic input use has turned the <strong>soil<\/strong> into hard, dry land with low soil organic carbon, limiting the soil\u2019s ability to infiltrate and retain the rain when it does come. Instead it runs off, creating erosion,\u201d explains Meghan.<\/p>\n<p>Healthier soil can <strong>raise yields<\/strong>, cut the need for costly synthetic fertiliser and hold more water, easing drought and flooding alike. \u201cWe\u2019ve watched degraded landscapes turn around in a decade: soil that crusted over starts absorbing rain again, hillsides that shed water start acting like sponges,\u201d says Lily.<\/p>\n<p>At La Junquera, ponds, swales, vegetation cover and keyline design slow runoff and increase infiltration. \u201cFor us, adapting to drought isn\u2019t about finding more <strong>water<\/strong>. It\u2019s about making much better use of every drop of rain that falls,\u201d says Yanniek.<\/p>\n<p>That is what gives resilient crops \u201ca fighting chance\u201d, says Lily. \u201cIf we want farmers to take the risk of switching to lower-yield, climate-resilient varieties, we have to invest in restoring the land underneath them first, not just hand them a different seed and call it done.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id data-event=\"widget_related\">\n<div class=\"c-widget-related__title\"><b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b><\/div>\n<ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\" id=\"abe-article-related-3\">\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">El Ni\u00f1o could weaken the polar vortex. Does a scorching summer mean a freezing winter?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>What support do farmers need from governments?<\/h2>\n<p>The EU\u2019s CAP subsidy scheme does reward regenerative practices like crop rotation, cover cropping and planting nitrogen-fixing crops, which produce <strong>natural fertiliser<\/strong> and improve soil health. But farmers still largely bear the costs and responsibility of implementing these measures alone, with little recognition for the benefits they create for food security, biodiversity and human health.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need policies that make it less risky for farmers to adapt,\u201d says Yanniek, pointing to better insurance against drought and frost, and financial support during the years it takes to establish perennial crops.<\/p>\n<p>Meghan wants regional policymakers to move fast and fund the move to regenerative land management, through advisory services, transition insurance and co-investment in new machinery.<\/p>\n<p>EARA farmers achieve equal or better harvests with less water and fewer inputs, says Josefine, yet \u201cneither the market nor the CAP pays for the resilience built\u201d. She calls for \u201ca fair market and a CAP that pays for outcomes, not just practices and hectares, so resilience stops being a cost farmers absorb alone\u201d. <\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n<div class=\"widget__contents\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/94\/58\/21\/808x454_cmsv2_e6205bd3-ee59-5cf8-a6db-1f6e9052c965-9945821.jpg\" alt=\"Meghan Sapp is founding farmer and external relations director at EARA, and a farmer at Curly Creek Ranch in the Basque Country in Spain.\"><figcaption class=\"widget__caption\"><span class=\"widget__captionWrap\"><span class=\"widget__captionText\">Meghan Sapp is founding farmer and external relations director at EARA, and a farmer at Curly Creek Ranch in the Basque Country in Spain.<\/span><span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Meghan Sapp via Commonland<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>One of the alliance\u2019s <strong>farmers<\/strong>, Gunnar Thelin of V\u00e4stra Gatug\u00e5rd, a five-hectare holding in Vedersl\u00f6v, Sweden, sketches how that could work: satellite measurements over the season would check that photosynthesis is above an agreed level for the region, and bare ground and soil temperature below agreed levels. <\/p>\n<p>Meet them and you receive CAP money; miss them and you don\u2019t. \u201cThat\u2019s the incentive to go regen,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Not everyone is convinced. Maximillian says he\u2019s \u201cnot a big fan of subsidies\u201d and believes farmers must simply adapt through regenerative farming. Better prices alone, he says, won\u2019t solve the underlying problem.<\/p>\n<p>But for many, a fair market remains the missing piece. \u201cGrowing a drought-resistant crop is only half the solution,\u201d says Yanniek. \u201cFarmers also need a market that pays enough to make growing it worthwhile.\u201d Without one, Josefine warns, \u201cEurope loses hundreds of <strong>farms<\/strong> a day this way, the very farms holding the solutions to regenerating it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-you-might-also-like\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-you-might-also-like\">\n<h2 class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__title\">\n        Read more<br \/>\n      <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__container\">\n<article id=\"abe-2932084-pos0-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1\" data-nid=\"2932084\" data-cid=\"9953616\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2932084-label-pos0-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/94\/47\/70\/480x270_cmsv2_481c908b-168f-570e-b847-64f9fdfcbae8-9944770.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"The ninth prototype of the Snow Sled, designed to reduce the vehicle&apos;s own weight so it could carry more scientific equipment.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Earth News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Wind Sled, Spanish invention to cross Antarctica without emissions: &#8216;Unique in the world&#8217;<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2933821-pos1-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2933821\" data-cid=\"9952877\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2933821-label-pos1-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/95\/28\/77\/480x270_cmsv2_97a09feb-1cec-50fd-ba1a-6f09774d2730-9952877.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Wide of Kamnik-Savinja Alps. 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decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2932084-pos0-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1\" data-nid=\"2932084\" data-cid=\"9953616\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2932084-label-pos0-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/94\/47\/70\/480x270_cmsv2_481c908b-168f-570e-b847-64f9fdfcbae8-9944770.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"The ninth prototype of the Snow Sled, designed to reduce the vehicle&apos;s own weight so it could carry more scientific equipment.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Earth News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Wind Sled, Spanish invention to cross Antarctica without emissions: &#8216;Unique in the world&#8217;<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2933821-pos1-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2933821\" data-cid=\"9952877\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2933821-label-pos1-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" 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October 11, 2026.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Earth News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    \u2018Striking change\u2019: Slovenia\u2019s last glacier is rapidly shrinking<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2933290-pos2-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2933290\" data-cid=\"9950452\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2933290-label-pos2-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/95\/04\/52\/480x270_cmsv2_e1410ea6-1c04-5ae7-b3d6-b02d2451131a-9950452.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Agricultural land in Uzbekistan\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Earth News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Why landlocked countries struggle to make healthy food affordable<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2933821-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2933821\" data-cid=\"9952877\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2933821-label-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/95\/28\/77\/320x180_cmsv2_97a09feb-1cec-50fd-ba1a-6f09774d2730-9952877.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Wide of Kamnik-Savinja Alps. 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<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">Almonds decimated by frost, tomatoes disrupted by heat, and Halloween pumpkins shrunk by drought: it\u2019s been a punishing year for agriculture in Europe.The hot, dry summer \u2013 which would have been \u201cvirtually impossible&#8221; if it weren\u2019t for climate change\u00a0 \u2013 reduced the continent\u2019s forecast grain harvest by an estimated 16.7 million tonnes, costing farmers more than\u00a0 \u20ac3 billion, according to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).\u201cAfter this summer, many European farmers are on the brink,\u201d says Josefine Herz, managing director of the European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture (EARA).\u00a0\u201cOne year prices collapse because they grew too much; the next, drought punishes them for growing at all, and each swing hands a bigger share to the same few processors and retailers who are increasing prices on the consumer side.\u201dFrench vegetable growers\u2019 association L\u00e9gumes de France warned in July that losses in some sectors could reach 50 per cent.\u00a0Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, triggered by the war on Iran, have added to pressure on fuel and fertiliser supplies, while drought has restricted cargo traffic on some European waterways. Together, these supply-chain problems are adding to concerns about the cost of farming and the security of food supplies.But could changing the way we farm pave the way for a more certain future?Diversification of crops helps farmers weather the extremesAt Curly Creek Ranch in Spain\u2019s Basque Country, tomatoes \u2013 one of the farm\u2019s highest earners at \u20ac7\/kg \u2013 stopped flowering in the extreme heat.\u00a0\u201cImagine the length of the tomato plant and the middle third has a gap without fruit. We never saw that before,\u201d says farmer Meghan Sapp, who is also EARA\u2019s external relations director. Flowering has since resumed, and she hopes a later-than-usual season will make up some of the shortfall.\u00a0A lack of water has also affected the farm\u2019s Halloween pumpkins, which are smaller than usual this year, while high temperatures left corn with \u201cearly signs of burning on the leaves, which we\u2019d never seen before\u201d, says Meghan.The heat also exposed weaknesses in the local water supply, including leaky infrastructure: Curly Creek Ranch repeatedly received less than its expected daily allocation, forcing authorities to deliver 50,000 litres by tanker.But diversification has helped spread the risk.\u201cMany years we don\u2019t get a single aubergine due to lack of heat and yet we plant them anyway, just in case,\u201d\u00a0 Meghan explains. \u201cThis year that bet paid off\u2026 for the first time ever we had a huge crop.\u201dIt\u2019s a tactic that\u2019s also working for farmers further south in Spain.\u201cHistorically, our farm depended heavily on cereals,\u201d says Yanniek Schoonhoven, who owns La Junquera farm in Murcia. \u201cWe have gradually diversified\u2026 looking for systems that are better suited to an increasingly unpredictable climate.\u201d\u00a0Aromatic plants like rosemary, lavender, sage and oregano are particularly well adapted to dry Mediterranean conditions. They also fetch good prices: around \u20ac2,000 per hectare, with costs of about \u20ac1,000, according to Yanniek. Pistachios, which also cope well in a dry climate, bring in even more: around \u20ac2,350 per hectare with similar costs.\u00a0But frost during a critical period wiped out La Junquera\u2019s almonds, a \u201cvery significant loss\u201d of around \u20ac700\u2013\u20ac1,050 per hectare.The challenges of branching out from commodity crops\u00a0Despite the attractive margins on certain drought-resilient crops, it\u2019s not a simple switch.While aromatics can be distilled into essential oils, a higher-value product than grain, \u201cthese markets require processing, investment and reliable buyers\u201d, explains Yanniek.\u00a0Cereals and oilseeds, by contrast, are commodity crops: standardised products sold in bulk, with prices largely dictated by wider markets. Farmers may have established buyers for their harvests, but have little leverage to charge more for climate resilience. At La Junquera, wheat brings in around \u20ac600 per hectare against roughly \u20ac500 in costs, according to Yanniek.Subsidies tend to favour these crops, though. The EU\u2019s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) pays basic income support by hectares farmed, not by crop type or output, so more funding naturally flows to large-scale farms which often grow commodities. The EU also steps in if market prices for commodity crops fall below a certain threshold.Yet commodities are not immune to extreme weather. On Gut Weimarschmieden, a 700-hectare organic conservation agriculture farm in Fladungen, Germany, summer barley and winter wheat struggled in the heat, says manager Maximillian Krimm, while the cornfields produced about 17 tonnes instead of the usual 25 to 30.\u00a0Spelt and canola fared better. Maximillian is also considering emmer, an old wheat variety whose yields are 20 to 30 per cent lower than conventional wheat, for only a slightly higher price. \u201cIn general we don\u2019t grow much that\u2019s lower value because the prices don\u2019t justify it,\u201d he says.Restoring soil health can turn things around for Europe\u2019s farmersCommodity farming also favours intensive methods that deplete soil and generate emissions, not least from synthetic fertiliser \u2013 and crop choice alone won\u2019t fix that.\u201cA drought-tolerant crop planted into dead, compacted soil in a biodiversity dead zone will still struggle, because there\u2019s nothing left to hold the water when it comes,\u201d says Lily Maxwell-Lwin, head of advocacy at international non-profit Commonland.Her team works with local communities across more than 50 countries to restore degraded landscapes using a holistic approach that blends social impact, biodiversity restoration, financial return and pride in place.\u201cFor most arable farms in our region, years of tillage, monoculture and synthetic input use has turned the soil into hard, dry land with low soil organic carbon, limiting the soil\u2019s ability to infiltrate and retain the rain when it does come. Instead it runs off, creating erosion,\u201d explains Meghan.Healthier soil can raise yields, cut the need for costly synthetic fertiliser and hold more water, easing drought and flooding alike. \u201cWe\u2019ve watched degraded landscapes turn around in a decade: soil that crusted over starts absorbing rain again, hillsides that shed water start acting like sponges,\u201d says Lily.At La Junquera, ponds, swales, vegetation cover and keyline design slow runoff and increase infiltration. \u201cFor us, adapting to drought isn\u2019t about finding more water. It\u2019s about making much better use of every drop of rain that falls,\u201d says Yanniek.That is what gives resilient crops \u201ca fighting chance\u201d, says Lily. \u201cIf we want farmers to take the risk of switching to lower-yield, climate-resilient varieties, we have to invest in restoring the land underneath them first, not just hand them a different seed and call it done.\u201dWhat support do farmers need from governments?The EU\u2019s CAP subsidy scheme does reward regenerative practices like crop rotation, cover cropping and planting nitrogen-fixing crops, which produce natural fertiliser and improve soil health. But farmers still largely bear the costs and responsibility of implementing these measures alone, with little recognition for the benefits they create for food security, biodiversity and human health.\u201cWe need policies that make it less risky for farmers to adapt,\u201d says Yanniek, pointing to better insurance against drought and frost, and financial support during the years it takes to establish perennial crops.Meghan wants regional policymakers to move fast and fund the move to regenerative land management, through advisory services, transition insurance and co-investment in new machinery.EARA farmers achieve equal or better harvests with less water and fewer inputs, says Josefine, yet \u201cneither the market nor the CAP pays for the resilience built\u201d. She calls for \u201ca fair market and a CAP that pays for outcomes, not just practices and hectares, so resilience stops being a cost farmers absorb alone\u201d.\u00a0One of the alliance\u2019s farmers, Gunnar Thelin of V\u00e4stra Gatug\u00e5rd, a five-hectare holding in Vedersl\u00f6v, Sweden, sketches how that could work: satellite measurements over the season would check that photosynthesis is above an agreed level for the region, and bare ground and soil temperature below agreed levels.\u00a0Meet them and you receive CAP money; miss them and you don\u2019t. \u201cThat\u2019s the incentive to go regen,\u201d he says.Not everyone is convinced. Maximillian says he\u2019s \u201cnot a big fan of subsidies\u201d and believes farmers must simply adapt through regenerative farming. Better prices alone, he says, won\u2019t solve the underlying problem.But for many, a fair market remains the missing piece. \u201cGrowing a drought-resistant crop is only half the solution,\u201d says Yanniek. \u201cFarmers also need a market that pays enough to make growing it worthwhile.\u201d Without one, Josefine warns, \u201cEurope loses hundreds of farms a day this way, the very farms holding the solutions to regenerating it.\u201d<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2026\/10\/16\/extreme-weather-is-decimating-europes-crops-these-farmers-have-a-solution&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/94\/58\/21\/1200x675_cmsv2_4587184f-6477-5547-a807-84c78dd6f3e7-9945821.jpg&#8221;] Europe Today Live. 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