Safeguarding Europe’s Agri-Food System Amid Wildfires and Extreme Climate Risks
Across Southern and Western Europe, this July has brought a stark and painful reminder of our planet’s growing climate vulnerability. From the wildfires raging across France’s Gironde region and vineyards to the fires scorching over 150,000 hectares of forest and farmland across Spain, extreme heatwaves and prolonged droughts are transforming agricultural landscapes into tinderboxes.
These recent fires are not isolated disasters; they follow a relentless cycle of climate shocks, from disastrous winter floods in the Evros River basin in Greece to unseasonal late-spring frosts that wiped out up to 100% of fruit yields across Central Europe.
On World Nature Conservation Day, we were reminded that protecting natural ecosystems is not just an environmental obligation, it is the foundation of Europe’s food security, rural livelihoods, and agricultural survival.
The Systemic Threat to European Agriculture
As these compounding climate disasters accelerate, the European agri-food system finds itself on the frontlines. A major report by the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change (‘Climate adaptation and mitigation in the agri-food system: Recommendations for coherent EU policies’) warns that current agricultural progress is failing to keep pace with worsening climate risks.
While accounting for roughly one-third of the EU’s net greenhouse gas emissions, the agri-food sector suffers tens of billions of euros in climate-related losses every year. The Advisory Board emphasizes that marginal technological tweaks are no longer enough. To safeguard farmers and secure our food supply, Europe urgently needs a systemic transition that advances both climate adaptation and mitigation across the entire value chain.
Key recommendations from the Advisory Board include:
- Helping farmers overcome economic barriers to adopt resilient practices and transition away from emissions-intensive farming.
- Equipping local producers and authorities with actionable tools to prepare for unavoidable climate shocks like extreme droughts, floods, and wildfires.
- Harnessing upcoming revisions of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and EU climate frameworks to reward carbon removals and climate-resilient land management.
Bridging High-Level Policy with Regional Action
Putting these policy recommendations into action requires tailored solutions on the ground. Because a wildfire sweeping through French pine forests requires vastly different management strategies than drought-proofing vineyards in Spain or flood-proofing river basins in Greece, adaptation must be local, practical, and place-based.
This is where REGILIENCE+ comes in.
REGILIENCE+ synthesizes proven adaptation solutions from across the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, making high-quality evidence and tools directly accessible to Regional and Local Authorities (RLAs). Through dedicated hazard toolkits and real-world case studies, REGILIENCE+ helps local leaders move from emergency response to long-term climate resilience.
On this World Nature Conservation Day, explore how your region can take action to protect its land, crops, and communities:
Access practical hazard toolkits: REGILIENCE+ Quick Guides on Natural Hazards
Discover real-world adaptation wins: EU Mission Adaptation Portal Success Stories