From the parched fields of China's Yangtze River basin to the drying farmlands of northern Europe, extreme weather conditions are taking a severe toll on global agriculture. Farmers are facing critical crop losses, rising debt, and heightened uncertainty as climate change continues to drive increasingly frequent and intense droughts and heatwaves.
China's Croplands Scorched by Early Heatwave
In eastern and central China, an unseasonably early heatwave is roasting vast swathes of the country's most important agricultural and industrial regions. Temperatures in provinces like Anhui, Zhejiang, Hubei, and Henan have surged past 40°C, far exceeding seasonal norms. The subtropical high-pressure system that typically arrives in mid-July is already in place, signaling a dangerously early onset of what locals call the Sanfu Season—traditionally the hottest part of the year.
This abrupt and intense heat has raised alarm among Chinese farmers. The prolonged dry spell is depleting soil moisture, stressing crops, and threatening irrigation systems. Power demand from air conditioners has already set a national record, adding further strain to hydropower-reliant provinces like Sichuan, which is also suffering from below-average rainfall.
While eastern China sizzles, other parts of the country are grappling with torrential rains, leading to flash floods and waterlogged fields, especially in cities like Chengdu. This climatic whiplash — oscillating between heat-induced droughts and intense rainfall — underscores the growing unpredictability of China’s weather patterns and their complex impact on agriculture.
European Farmers on the Brink as Spring Drought Deepens
Thousands of kilometers away, farmers across north-western Europe are enduring one of the driest springs in decades. In countries like the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium, the lack of rainfall since April is stalling crop growth during a critical phase of the growing season.
Germany's Saxony-Anhalt region is also struggling, with some farms receiving less than half the expected rainfall. Farmers there warn that if rains do not arrive soon, crop losses could reach 30%—or worse.
Even organic livestock farmers are feeling the pinch. They are worried for feed supply. The European Drought Observatory has placed nearly one-third of the continent under orange drought warnings, with a fraction already in critical red alert zones.
Billions Lost – and Mostly Uninsured
A recent report by insurance group Howden has highlighted the staggering financial cost of these climate-driven events. The EU agricultural sector currently loses around €28 billion annually due to extreme weather — a figure projected to rise to €40 billion by 2050 under a “business-as-usual” emissions scenario. In catastrophic years, total losses could soar past €90 billion.
Drought accounts for over 50% of these losses, making it the single largest climate-related threat to food production in Europe. Countries like Spain and Italy could see up to €20 billion in agricultural damage annually, while smaller economies in Central and Southeastern Europe face GDP losses of over 3% during extreme events.
Worryingly, only 20–30% of these losses are insured, meaning most farmers are forced to absorb the financial burden alone, sometimes requiring emergency government aid.
Adapting or Perishing
Farmers across both continents are trying to adapt. In Europe, that includes investing in rainwater harvesting systems, soil organic matter enhancement, drought-resistant crop varieties, and precision irrigation. In China, authorities are urging workers to take precautions and are monitoring hydropower and grain production systems closely.
Experts say more robust climate finance solutions are urgently needed. The Howden report recommends the expansion of public-private reinsurance schemes, catastrophe bonds, and risk pooling mechanisms to improve farmers’ resilience and insurability.
As climate change accelerates, the global agriculture system is becoming increasingly vulnerable. The 2025 season may not yet be the worst on record, but early signs from China and Europe point to growing threats to food security, rural livelihoods, and national economies.
Without significant investment in adaptation, climate risk mitigation, and insurance coverage, the next drought or heatwave could do even greater damage — to farms, to families, and to the fragile balance of the global food supply chain.