Climate Change and Agriculture: How UK Farming Is Being Affected

Farming is uniquely exposed to the impacts of climate change. Unlike many other sectors, agriculture is shaped daily by weather patterns, soil conditions, and seasonal rhythms. In the UK, farmers are already experiencing shifting rainfall, unexpected frosts, prolonged dry spells, and changing pest pressures.

As the climate continues to warm, these changes are accelerating; bringing both challenges and opportunities. Understanding how UK farming is being affected is essential for building a resilient, sustainable food system.

How Climate Change Affects UK Agriculture

Climate change is influencing every part of the UK farming landscape. The following sections outline how it is affecting weather patterns, yields, soil health, and livestock systems.

Shifting Weather Patterns and Extreme Events

More frequent and intense extreme weather events are one of the clearest signals of climate change in the UK. Farmers are facing heavier rainfall and flash flooding, particularly in winter, which can delay planting, damage crops, and erode soil. 

Meanwhile, summer droughts are becoming more common, stressing both crops and livestock. Heatwaves impact animal welfare, while late spring frosts remain a risk for fruit growers even as average temperatures rise.

Crop Yields and Growing Seasons

Warming temperatures are changing how crops grow. Longer growing seasons may benefit some crops in parts of the UK, but rising temperatures also bring increased risk from heat stress, drought, and disease.

New pests and pathogens are becoming more prevalent, while traditional crop varieties may struggle in the new conditions. This creates uncertainty around yields and long-term farm planning.

Soil Health and Water Availability

Soil degradation is a growing concern in the face of climate change. Heavier rain can lead to erosion and nutrient runoff, while hotter, drier summers increase the risk of soil compaction and organic matter loss. Water availability is also changing, with pressure on irrigation systems and water storage during dry periods. Maintaining healthy, well-structured soils is becoming more important and more difficult.

Livestock and Animal Health

Rising temperatures affect animal health and welfare. Heat stress reduces productivity in dairy and beef cattle, while changing weather patterns increase the risk of disease and parasite spread. These pressures require new approaches to animal housing, breeding, and pasture management.

Wider Impacts on the UK Food System

The effects of climate change on agriculture ripple through the food system. Unpredictable weather can lead to lower yields, price volatility, and greater reliance on imports. This has implications for food security and affordability, particularly for vulnerable communities. Labour availability is also affected by changing harvest times and weather conditions.

At the same time, farming is a contributor to climate change, accounting for around 10 percent of UK greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing these twin pressures, impact and contribution, is key to a sustainable transition.

Farming with Nature: Adapting to a Changing Climate

Adapting to climate change means more than reacting to new risks. It requires rethinking how we farm. Nature-based solutions offer a powerful way to restore ecosystems while improving farm resilience. Practices such as agroforestry, cover cropping, wetland restoration, and protecting peatlands help manage water, enhance biodiversity, and store carbon in the landscape.

Equally important are low-carbon and regenerative approaches that build soil health, reduce emissions, and support long-term productivity. Rotational grazing, organic amendments, and minimal tillage are examples of methods that reduce environmental impact while improving farm outcomes. Learn more about these solutions on our Farm with Nature page.

Action in the UK Agriculture Sector

Across the UK, local initiatives are supporting farmers to adapt and innovate. These include landscape-scale peatland restoration in Scotland, farmer-led networks in England trialling regenerative methods, and Welsh projects focused on agroecological farming.

National policy is also shifting. DEFRA’s Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) aim to reward farmers for delivering environmental benefits. The UK’s Net Zero Strategy includes agriculture as a priority sector, with targets for emissions reduction, soil restoration, and nature recovery. Industry-led roadmaps, such as the NFU’s net zero plan for agriculture, are contributing to a growing alignment around climate-smart farming.

Climate change & agriculture FAQs

How is climate change affecting agriculture in the UK?

Climate change is bringing more extreme weather, longer growing seasons, new pest risks, and changes in water availability. These factors are disrupting traditional farming patterns and making production more uncertain.

What changes are farmers already seeing?

UK farmers are experiencing wetter winters, drier summers, heatwaves, and shifting seasons. These changes affect planting and harvesting times, animal health, and soil conditions.

How can UK agriculture adapt to the climate crisis?

Adaptation includes diversifying crops, improving water and soil management, investing in nature-based solutions, and adopting regenerative practices that build resilience.

What sustainable solutions are being implemented on farms?

Examples include agroforestry, cover cropping, peatland protection, rotational grazing, and reducing fertiliser use. These practices cut emissions and improve productivity.

How does farming contribute to climate change?

Farming contributes to emissions through methane from livestock, nitrous oxide from fertilisers, and carbon loss from soil. Reducing these requires changes in land use and farm management.

Sources:

• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-land-management-update-how-government-will-pay-for-land-based-environment-and-climate-goods-and-services/environmental-land-management-elm-update-how-government-will-pay-for-land-based-environment-and-climate-goods-and-services 
• https://www.nfuonline.com/media/jq1b2nx5/achieving-net-zero-farming-s-2040-goal.pdf 

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