Heatwaves hit European agriculture and threaten to raise food prices

Extreme heatwaves hitting Europe since late May are damaging agriculture and raising concerns about reduced food supplies and higher prices. A joint report by the FAO and WMO warns of a threat to global food supply. France is expected to see a 30% drop in corn output, and Spain fears damage to potatoes. The heat also affects olives, livestock, and fishing.

Extreme heatwaves hitting Europe since late May are damaging agriculture and raising concerns about reduced food supplies and higher prices. Corn, wheat, olive, and fruit growers report lower yields, and livestock farms are seeing the effects of heat stress, including widespread mortality. The heatwave intensified in June and July, with temperatures in western and central Europe running 10–15°C above the seasonal average. Spain recorded more than 45°C and France more than 44°C. A joint report by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), published in July 2026, defines heatwaves as a "risk multiplier" for food production systems. According to the report, each 1°C rise in temperature reduces global corn yields by an average of 7.5% and wheat yields by 6%. In France, the EU's largest corn producer, corn output is expected to fall by 30% this year, with the crop projected to be the lowest in 50 years. In Spain, the potato growers' association in the Castile and León region reported that temperatures above 30°C slowed crop development, and yields could drop by 10–15%. The heat also affects olives, livestock, and fishing. The UK saw a decline of about 20 million liters in milk output during the May, June, and July heatwaves. France reported the deaths of hundreds of thousands of poultry. More than 1,500 large fires broke out across the EU, burning over 4,350 hectares. The drop in yields is expected to push up feed costs and, subsequently, animal-based food products.