The UK’s latest climate risk assessment, A Well-Adapted UK, has landed with a now-familiar and sobering reminder for those in agriculture and horticulture: the impacts are already here, the risks are escalating, and adaptation is no longer optional.
But the report also points to something more hopeful. With the right adaptation, the UK should be able to maintain the proportion of food produced domestically, even as the mix of what we grow shifts. From growing chickpeas or oranges in the south to redesigned rotations and climate‑tolerant genetics the sector will look very different by mid‑century – but one that can remain robust and productive.
Prepared by the Climate Change Committee (CCC), the report reflects on what “viable farming” could mean by 2050 – and the critical importance of enabling and encouraging farmers to take adaptation actions.