Last week, government advisors in the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) warned that a dramatic policy overhaul is needed to ensure UK agriculture remains productive in the face of climate change.

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Advisers warned on Wednesday 10th July that a lack of action on the predicted effects of climate change "could undermine our ability to meet increased food demand over the next decades." Reporting to ministers, the Committee suggested that farming practices should change and utilities costs should reflect the true value of important resources if the UK is to rise meet to serious challenges over the coming years.

The CCC report, part of a series published annually and dealing with the country's preparedness for the effects of climate change, has a broader focus than farming activity alone. Committee members examined a range of 'ecosystem services' provided by the land, such as food supply, timber, wildlife habitat and carbon sequestration. Ecosystem services are benefits provided by natural functions that are often difficult to quantify; in recent years, experts have attempted to attribute monetary values to these processes in a bid to ensure their necessity is understood by policy makers and business leaders.

On publishing the UK government's National Adaptation Programme at the beginning of the month, Defra secretary Owen Paterson spoke of the economic opportunities for UK businesses from worsening climate change. Paterson's remarks were condemned in no uncertain terms by environmental campaigners; Greenpeace spokesperson Jim Footner said, "Only this government could regard the impact of global warming as a business opportunity… ministers [are] now advising companies on how to turn a profit from something most people regard as a profound threat."

Nevertheless, the government set out a series of voluntary adaptation measures in its programme, which it hopes will lead to a greater uptake of climate proofing by local authorities and businesses. However, the authors of last week's CCC report warned, "There has been very limited progress addressing risks from climate change… further action is needed."

Numerous threats identified

The CCC advisors pointed out that, as most of the UK's crop production is already concentrated in water stressed areas, "There could be a significant shortfall between water demand and supply for farming" as early as the 2020s. They warned that, in a dry year, the shortfall could amount to half the water currently consumed by agriculture and added that "current farming practices may be depleting some of the country’s richest soils."

They also found that the majority of upland peat in England is has been degraded by draining, burning and overgrazing. The committee advisors said that, as a result, billions of pounds worth of carbon could be released into the atmosphere and the land's ability to retain and regulate the flow of water has been compromised.

The CCC also expressed concern about the degradation of vital coastal habitats and the precarious situation of British wildlife. Coastal habitats, in addition to providing a home for the country's wildlife, play an invaluable function in flood prevention. Three-quarters of coastal habitats are threatened, and their degradation could increase the cost of flood defences as sea levels rise; this cost is already predicted to rise by 60 percent over the next 20 years.

The state of inland natural wildlife habitat is no better; habitats are small, fractured and vulnerable to the ravages of climate change. As a result, 60 percent of the UK's native species are experiencing long-term decline in populations.

Lord John Krebs, Chair of the CCC's Adaptation Sub-Committee commented, "Our analysis shows we are putting future agricultural production at risk, jeopardising coastal habitats that provide vital flood defences, squeezing wildlife habitats, and threatening billions of pounds worth of carbon stored in our peatlands. 

"There is an important opportunity for the UK as a food producer in a world subject to climate change. However this is at risk under current farming practices. The Government should act now to develop and implement policies to ensure that we make the right land use choices to ensure we are resilient to climate change."

Recommended actions

The CCC offered advice on a range of measures, which it believes could lessen the risk to UK food production and environmental health:

• The Government needs to press on with water abstraction reform, such that there is a price for water that reflects its scarcity. In addition, reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy should promote water efficiency measures on farms.
• The rate of coastal realignment needs to increase five-fold from 6 km of coastline each year to 30 km each year in order to reach local authority goal to realign 10% of coast by 2030 and 15% by 2060. For some stretches, one-third of the coastline will need to be realigned. This requires joined-up action from local authorities and the Environment Agency. There also needs to be a clear process for compensation arrangements for land owners.
• The area of degraded peatlands undergoing restoration needs to triple. Two-thirds of upland peatlands have no clear restoration plan despite clear economic case in many locations. The Government needs to strengthen incentives to ensure the value of the carbon and water regulation services in land use decisions.
• There has been no increase in proportion of protected wildlife habitat sites in good condition in last ten years, despite 8,000 km2 of habitats under restoration and the majority of protected sites having management plans in place. Current regulations must be better enforced and effective market mechanisms developed to place an economic value on nature.