Global Warming Threatens to Dry Out Europe’s Crop Fields
European satellite data and atmospheric models are sending warnings to farmers about climate change.
Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite image of the Dutch province of Flevoland that produces predominantly apples, cereals, potatoes and flowers.
Source: European Space Agency
Persistent drought that’s stressing production of crops like wheat and corn across swathes of Europe could become more normal in the future, threatening food output.
That’s according to two European Union studies that show climate change is reducing soil moisture in key grain-growing parts of the bloc, with droughts likely to become more frequent throughout the rest of the century. The findings highlight the risks to crops that the region’s 500 million people use and export, underscoring how economies may need to find new ways to adapt cultivation to drier climates.