Climate Change and Adaptation

Climate change has moved from future threat to present reality for French farmers. Wine regions provide the clearest evidence - harvest dates have advanced by weeks, alcohol levels rise as grapes ripen faster, traditional grape varieties struggle in warming conditions. Champagne producers buy land in England, hedging against futures where their terroir no longer produces characteristic wines.

But impacts extend beyond viticulture. Drought stress affects crops previously considered secure. New pests and diseases arrive as winters warm. Extreme weather events - violent storms, unprecedented floods, killer frosts after early warm spells - disrupt careful planning. Farmers adapt through crop selection, planting dates, water management, and diversification, but the pace of change challenges traditional knowledge.

"My father taught me to farm this land," says Provence farmer Claude Martin, surveying olive groves stressed by consecutive droughts. "But his knowledge assumed patterns that no longer hold. We're all beginners now." He's installing drip irrigation, considering drought-resistant varieties, experimenting with soil covers to retain moisture. Adaptation is possible but expensive and uncertain.