ANDGlobal warming has become a real headache for farmers. Increasing temperatures, no precipitation, normalization of the weather extreme weather events and pests (which increase with heat) have destroyed thousands of hectares of crops worldwide. The economic consequences are obvious not only for producers but also for consumers. Lack of raw materials hinders supply and therefore prices rise.
Because demand does not decrease during periods of insistence on reducing even more animal protein. Also, imports are increasing, so shipping costs have to be added to the tariff, a permanent shadow of inflation that remains very high despite softening. The euros needed to buy a kilo of fruit a few years ago are now barely enough to buy 500 grams.
The first thing to note How have winters changed?. According to the latest report by the EU Earth Observation Program Copernicus, the average temperature in Europe in late 2021 and early 2022 is one degree higher than the winter average between 1991 and 2020.
In Spain, the State Meteorological Service provided even more alarming information a few months ago: December 2022 was the hottest year in the entire historical series. Overall, the winter period was the tenth coldest (1961) since data and the fifth warmest this century. Another example of the world warming at an evil rate.
The natural cycle is disrupted
Trees noticed this phenomenon and did a lot. And this, In order for flowering to be sufficient, it is essential that they accumulate cold during the winter months.. If the temperature rises, the natural cycle changes and this affects the quantity and quality of the fruit.
In the most extreme cases, it can ruin an entire season. moreover if flowering is early, there may not be enough insects to pollinate them. Or worse, some plants may not be able to withstand frost.
Scientists have been warning about this for a while. According to a study conducted by experts from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and the University of Castilla-La Mancha, Local and flexible adaptation strategies should be designed according to climate projections. to prevent the drop in temperatures from compromising the viability of some fruit varieties.
In the text, they specifically analyze what might happen to almond, plum, apple, peach, olive and vine trees in relation to the predictable development of the climate. The choice of these species is not trivial, as they are trees that carry a lot of weight in the Spanish countryside.
The result is clear: only low cold need varieties will survive in the next 30 years. So the least at risk species would be cherry tree, olive tree and vine. However, in these last two cases the situation is not entirely rosy in all cases (see attached information).
Only low cold need varieties can survive in the next 30 years.
At the opposite end are the plum tree, almond tree and apple tree. There is a peach tree in the middle. Fortunately, experts offer solutions to this problem: “Adaptation is possible by moving crops to adjacent areas or by careful selection of varieties that need adequate cold. The development of those with lower cold needs will also contribute to the viability of the crops.”
But the absence of cold isn’t the only thing that worries the Spanish countryside. Extreme weather events linked to climate change are another major threat to farmers. Drought, heavy rains, and cold or heat waves are often behind the decline in production of some species.
The surviving fruit sees their quality decline: their capacity to taste decreases and changes in size, colour, preservation capacity and sugar content are appreciated.
Water management in the face of drought
The water problem has many facets. When talking about this in Spain, it is inevitable to talk about ‘water wars’, which unfortunately become so normal in the driest regions. Although not a solution that satisfies everyone, experts point to the need to create a country strategy and implement infrastructures able to take this precious liquid to the most dependent areas.
Otherwise, dramatic summers like those in Axarquía in Malaga will be repeated, where hundreds of avocado growers died of thirst last year. “There is an urgent need for infrastructure to bring water to productive areas with the highest added value of national agriculture,” they say from the Tropical Fruits Association of Spain. But, Scientists and ecologists do not welcome the spread of tropical crops because they require large amounts of water.
Pests destroy 40 percent of global crop production each year
The same thing happens with pests. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report, this destroys 40 percent of world crop production each year. Translated into the economic field, it represents a cost of more than 165,000 million Euros. The clearest example of this is the fruit fly, which has increased its population exponentially due to global warming.
The threats don’t end there: Repeated scientific reports have warned for years: Rising temperatures will lead to an increase in foodborne infections. Another worrying factor.
The European Environment Agency warns of impending drama. In one of its latest reports, the agency emphasizes that changes in climate “have already changed the length of the growing season in much of Europe”. Flowering and harvest times are a few days earlier. It can be predicted that these changes will continue to be experienced in many regions. Without further progress, in 2022 the stone fruit campaign in Spain fell sharply due to severe frosts in the spring.
Another option is for science to step in to alter the DNA of crops and make them more resilient to extreme conditions. That’s the premise they’re working with at the Agri-Food Research and Technology Institute (IRTA). There they created the ‘tutti’ apple, a ‘red, crunchy and juicy’ variety adapted to hot climates and the fruit of over two decades of hard work. The same is done for other crops.
Once again, the future can be forged in a lab.
OIL PRODUCTION DECREASED 40%
ANDLiquid gold from Andalusia fields (up to 80 percent of the national total) is one of the country’s biggest trademarks. But climate change also threatens this leadership. The Union of Andalusian Agri-Food Cooperatives has made this very clear: according to its estimates, oil production in the 2022-2023 campaign is 918,000 tons, Almost 40 percent less than last year, when it exceeds 1.5 tons. The drama is particularly evident in Jaén, an excellent olive-producing region, where the yield will drop by half. Extreme drought and high production costs (especially energy) are the main culprits. The RitmeNatura project estimates economic losses at values above 1,700 million euros.
It seemed impossible due to the characteristics of olive trees.. They are vigorous trees and have a high capacity for adaptability and resistance to both high and low extreme temperatures. His survival seemed assured. However, radical changes in temperatures and precipitation will affect their vegetative cycle, the properties of their olives and thus the composition of virgin olive oil. In the 2010s, an average of 1.3 million tons was produced per year, half of which corresponded to the ‘EVOO’ category (the most valuable extra virgin olive oil). To achieve this valuable ‘EVOO’, several factors must be harmonized, including the quality of the olive, climate and terrain. The olive tree needs to be exposed to temperatures between 26 and 32 degrees for healthy growth.that is, in regions with mild winters and hot, dry summers.
And while there are studies suggesting that a temperature rise of just over one degree could be good for olive trees, this initial diagnosis is confirmed when the remaining consequences of climate change (above-mentioned droughts, heat waves) are taken into account. and the cold, BEEF…) can destroy thousands of hectares of crops.
The properties of the soil greatly affect the final result. Whether the soil is wetter or sunnier can be seen in the degree of spiciness or softness of the oil obtained.
Contact address of the environment department: [email protected]