The climate crisis is having a devastating impact on the Italian economy, with a per capita cost of €284, a figure five times higher than in 2015 and the highest in the European Union. Italy suffers from a high level of water stress, surpassed only by Belgium, Spain and Greece, and has seen a drastic reduction in honey production, down 70% by 2023. Economic losses in Italy are mainly due to floods (44%), storms (34%) and heat waves (14%), while damage is almost insignificant in countries such as Greece, Denmark, Lithuania and Poland. (*)
To deal with this crisis, it is crucial to strengthen the powers of the basin authorities, putting them in charge of primary water supply planning, while the regions should focus on local management. Drawing up a district-level water balance is essential to overcome local and regional disputes.
Globally, 2023 was a difficult year for agriculture, with extreme weather conditions pushing crops to the limit. Storms, floods, unseasonal frosts, heat waves and prolonged droughts hit farmers hard. In many parts of the world, tomato plants did not blossom, the peach harvest was non-existent and the price of olive oil rose sharply.
During Cop28, 134 countries signed a pact to integrate sustainable agriculture into their climate strategies. However, time is not on the side of scientists who are trying to develop adaptation measures for crops and cropping systems. The Global Commission on Adaptation has predicted that climate change will reduce agricultural yields by up to 30 per cent by 2050, with a particularly heavy impact on the 500 million small farmers worldwide.
In 2023, the UK and Ireland faced shortages of tomatoes due to prolonged cold in Spain and Morocco, while in India the price of fruit increased by 400%. In Northern Ireland, dry weather reduced the potato harvest by about 1.9 million kilograms, and in India, torrential rains prevented the harvest of maize for cattle feed. In Spain, olive oil production was below normal for the second year in a row, while in Peru the blueberry harvest was half of normal. Wine production in Europe, Australia and South America fell to its lowest level since 1961.
The loss of traditional cultivation areas, expected to amount to 30% of current production in a moderate warming scenario, does not only affect the main staple crops, but also speciality crops such as olives and oranges, and products such as beer, whose production could be reduced by up to 17% globally due to droughts.
The climate crisis is imposing significant costs on both Italy and the rest of the world. While Italy is facing high per capita costs globally, agriculture is struggling to adapt to increasingly extreme weather conditions. International cooperation and the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices are essential to mitigate the impacts of climate change and ensure food security in the future.
ITA0039 | 100% Italian Taste Certification by Asacert, promotes Italian food products through the network of certified restaurants abroad. It is a priority to take action to enable our producers to continue exporting wholesomeness, taste and production of excellence. To do this, it is necessary to adopt a strategy of mitigation and adaptation to climate change in order to cope with the unprecedented crisis we are experiencing. Only through coordinated efforts and immediate action can we protect our agricultural heritage and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come. ITA0039, for its part, will continue to be vigilant so that, in the world, Italian restaurants may continue to be the spokesmen and outposts of the production of the Belpaese.
* The European House – Ambrosetti
