Extreme weather is decimating Europe’s crops. These farmers have a solution

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on Euronews or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Extreme heat, drought and frost are damaging harvests across Europe, pushing farmers to diversify crops and restore soil health to protect their livelihoods
• A hot, dry summer is estimated to have reduced Europe’s forecast grain harvest by 16.7 million tonnes, costing farmers more than €3 billion
• Regenerative farmers are turning to drought-adapted crops, mixed production and healthier soils to make farms more resilient to increasingly unpredictable weather

🔭 The context: Examples from Spain, Germany and Sweden show both the promise and limitations of diversification
• Rosemary, lavender, sage, oregano and pistachios can perform well in dry Mediterranean conditions, while other crops remain vulnerable to frost and heat.
But switching away from conventional cereals requires processing infrastructure, investment and reliable buyers
• Current EU agricultural subsidies largely support farms by hectares, which can favour large-scale commodity production over measurable environmental and resilience outcomes

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Regenerative practices such as crop rotation, cover cropping, reduced soil disturbance and restoring vegetation can improve soil structure, retain water, reduce erosion and support biodiversity
• Healthier soils may also lower dependence on synthetic fertilisers, helping reduce agricultural emissions while improving resilience to droughts and floods

⏭️ What’s next: Farmers are calling for better insurance against extreme weather, transition funding, technical advice and markets that reward climate-resilient production
• They also want the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to pay for measurable outcomes—such as soil health and vegetation cover—rather than primarily for farming practices or hectares.

💬 One quote: “Growing a drought-resistant crop is only half the solution,” says Yanniek Schoonhoven, a farmer in Spain. “Farmers also need a market that pays enough to make growing it worthwhile.”

📈 One stat: 16.7 million tonnes: the estimated reduction in Europe’s forecast grain harvest following the hot, dry summer, with losses exceeding €3 billion, according to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).

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