Rabobank warns: climate change is redrawing Europe's fruit map

A new report from RaboResearch analyzes the effects of climate change on the citrus, pome fruit, and stone fruit sectors in Europe.

European fruit farming faces a scenario of increasing climate pressure, in which the capacity for adaptation could become a determining factor for the competitiveness of producers. This is stated by a new report from RaboResearch, prepared by Camila Bonilla Cedrez and Cindy van Rijswick, which analyzes the effects of climate change on the citrus, pome, and stone fruit sectors in Europe. According to the report, climate change does not necessarily threaten the total supply of fruit in Europe, but it is making yields, quality, and harvest dates less predictable. At the same time, changes in temperature and water availability are gradually modifying the productive aptitude of different regions. The report notes that the main risks vary according to the type of fruit. Citrus fruits are particularly exposed to heat and water scarcity; pome fruits face the risk of early flowering and late frosts, as well as increased thermal stress during the summer; while stone fruits face the ...