This project assesses a selection of climate-change adaptation measures for the agriculture sector and gathers quantitative evidence on their potential to compensate for climate-change induced productivity losses. The results feed into the parent project "Climate change and bioeconomy – Sustainability gap analysis for the agricultural sector".

Climate-change adaptation measures for the agriculture sector

The aforementioned parent project analyses the future of EU agricultural production, including emerging sustainability gaps in the form of food, water, energy security, land take and GHG emissions. To better assess how some climate-change adaptation measures for the agricultural sector can contribute to closing these sustainability gaps by 2050, the project team provides an overview of the available quantitative evidence on their effectiveness. Examples of such measures could include a change in crop variety, improved water management and adjustment of planting dates.

Methodology

Two reports form the basis of the assessment: "Climate change adaptation in the agriculture sector in Europe" by the EEA (2019); and "Special Report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems" by the IPCC (2019). Based on a set of pre-defined criteria related to e.g. effectiveness and relevance, the project team will shortlist the measures listed in these two reports and conduct a literature review to collect quantitative evidence on their potential to compensate for climate-change induced productive losses. Ecologic Institute supports Ramboll with both tasks.