Officials sound alarm as extreme conditions threaten to impact food supply: 'This year will hardly see any improvement'

German agriculture was impacted heavily by extreme weather sparked by our changing environment in 2024. According to a market assessment by the Bundesvereinigung der Erzeugerorganisationen Obst und Gemüse (BVEO), it doesn't look like 2025 will offer much relief, either. 

What's happening?

Shifting weather patterns have caused late frosts, flooding, insect infestations, and drought — and both farmers and our food supply are suffering from it. While plenty of American farmers are facing these issues, the growing crisis is a global one. 

In Germany, farmers faced late frosts and excessive moisture that drastically reduced their crop yields in 2024. Freezing weather caused issues into the final week of April, and the frequent heavy rainfall that followed only added to the damage. The result was the second-weakest annual fruit harvest in the last decade.

As extreme weather conditions continue to become more common, it can be expected that these agricultural issues will, too. 

"The situation for companies was already tense last year. This year will hardly see any improvement," BVEO managing director Dr. Christian Weseloh said.

Why is the German agricultural crisis important?

Germany's agricultural struggles are concerning for several reasons. For one, they offer an ominous look at what may be to come for agriculturists around the planet as the environment continues to change. Food security issues are already cropping up in many places, including in America.

More immediately, the country's weak crop yields cause issues that extend further than the German borders. Germany is one of Europe's most important agricultural resources. It has the third-highest standard agricultural output of all European nations. When their farms struggle to produce, supply will drop, and prices will rise. 

It's not just the cost and availability of raw produce that gets impacted by these poor yields, either. Products created with that produce — such as prosecco — will also become more scarce and costly. 

What's being done about threats to food security?

This is all pretty overwhelming and frightening to learn about, but there is plenty reason to remain hopeful about the future of food security.

Scientists have recently developed a tool that utilizes AI to determine the health and future yield of crops. They believe this can help farmers become more resilient to the impacts of extreme weather conditions. 

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A South African farmer is now forgoing tilling his fields, as it weakens the soil, especially in the increasingly drier climates farmers are working in. According to him, combining this method with the use of cover crops has improved crop yields significantly.

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