Carter lived at the farm from the age of 4 until he departed for college in 1941. “There is no miracle solution.Carter's family didn't have running water until he turned 11 and they didn't get electricity until three years later. Lots of small improvements will be needed in the years ahead, Dr Zaka said. The panels can provide shade, before tilting when the crops are in need of sunlight. It involves installing solar panels on farmland in service of food production. Precision agriculture, for example, uses data-driven technology to prevent waste, including using only as much water as is necessary for the crops.Īgrivoltaics is also a growing practice in France. Researchers, meanwhile, are working on technological solutions to the challenges posed by climate change. The producers couldn’t sell their milk to be used for AOC salers.” Agrivoltaic solar panels provide energy and shade The 2022 droughts were so severe that there wasn’t any grass, and they had to come inside and be given other food. “The specifications for salers from the Massif Central state that the cows must live outside and feed on fresh grass. Read more: Winemakers face new problems each year due to climate change Geographical indications such as AOP wines will have to adapt their quality specifications accordingly, Dr Zaka argues. “When there are heatwaves and a lack of water, the grape berries will not be full of water, meaning the sugar inside will be more concentrated, and the sugar is what creates alcohol.” Winemakers in areas such as Languedoc have already seen the alcohol content in their wines rise by one or two percentage points over the past 30 years. That is particularly the case for wine, with the taste intrinsically linked to the local climate. It is not just the quantities produced that will change with the climate, either – the quality will also be affected. “The actions that can be taken won’t have an effect within five years, but in dozens of years to come, so they’re not necessarily appealing to presidents.” Quality of cheese and wine affected “An association of farmers cannot create a sector at a national level. He is calling on the state to set long-term goals for switching to new crops, with several billion euros of investment. “If you add up all the compensation paid out over the last 30 years, there could have been new, better-adapted industries 20 years ago.” One potential issue is that losses are calculated in relation to the average harvest from the last three to five years, themselves defined by extreme weather.ĭr Zaka believes a more profound change is needed. Read more: Drought-hit French department in plea to prevent ‘human catastrophe’ Long-term goals do not appeal to elected presidents The aim of the reform is to encourage more farmers to insure their land – in 2022, just 17% of agricultural land was insured.įarmers who are insured will receive more generous state compensation. The state will pay for compensation above a threshold of 30% or 50%, depending on the crop. Previously, losses due to extreme weather were compensated by a national fund, financed by farmers and the state.įarmers must now absorb the cost of losses to up to 20% of crops, at which point their insurance will take over. In April 2021, losses due to a late cold snap were estimated at €4billion in the tree and wine-growing industries, triggering a law change that took effect in January 2023. “There are also medlar trees, which are ornamental in the south of France, but in Lebanon, Syria or Israel, it’s a dessert fruit. Why pistachios? Because they flower two weeks later than apricot trees, so in the case of April frost, you avoid losses. “Pistachios were not present at all, but they have been in the last few years. While northern France will adopt crops already grown in the south, southern regions will have to look overseas, a process that has already begun, he says. Read more: Water restrictions not used effectively during France’s drought African crop, peanuts, in south of France We could even see a growing number of apricot and peach trees in Normandy, while pine trees and vineyards could also move further north, with the climate of south west France expected to climb “almost up to Belgium”. “In the Rhône and Garonne valleys, we’ll see an evolution towards more olives, for example,” he said. By 2070, the Mediterranean climate should reach Lyon and Bordeaux, and the crops must come with it.
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