Webtool created by researchers helps predict climate change in agriculture

A webtool giving an overview of climate change in Europe and predicting subsequent developments was created as a joint collaboration between French, Spanish, German and Estonian researchers.

Climate change is one of the main challenges facing the entire world, and especially the agricultural sector, noted Associate Professor at the Estonian University of Life Sciences Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Ragnar Leming. He added that even if a few European agricultural regions may benefit from the changing conditions, most agricultural producers assess the changes to be negative. Unwanted developments are mostly seen in regions already suffering from the poor state of the environmental condition.

This webtool aims to give an overview of climatic changes over the last 30 years and projections for the coming 30 years in the different agricultural regions in Europe. A map was compiled consolidating data from approximately 300 production areas, explained Leming.

One yellow grid point on the map represents an area of 25 x 25 km. The webtool allows one to look at various agroclimatic data, climate projections and possible adaptation measures for each specific area.

Users wishing to test their climate-related knowledge can take the multiple-choice quiz. The tool is available in Estonian, Spanish, English, French and German, and has been developed within the LIFE AgriAdapt project funded by the LIFE programme of the European Commission.

According to Leming, European farmers must adapt to the changing climate and adopt measures which would ensure the continued good productivity for the farms in the future. First, adaptation plans must be created to reduce vulnerability and ensure the sustained development of the farm.