Research: 7 in 10 farmers say they have felt climate change

Seventy-one percent of farmers say that climate change already has a large impact on their farms, according to new research.

In addition, even more are worried about the effect this will have in the future, according to the study from the Farmer Voice survey.

Life-science company Bayer commissioned an agency to independently interview 800 farmers globally, representing farms large and small from Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, India, Kenya, Ukraine and the U.S. in equal numbers, according to a news release.

The survey also found that 73% of growers have experienced increasing pest and disease pressure.

On average farmers estimate that their incomes have reduced by 15.7% due to climate change in the past two years, the release said. One in six farmers even identifies income losses of over 25% during this period.

The research found that farmers expect the repercussions of climate change to continue. Three-quarters of them globally (76%) are worried about the impact that climate change will have on their farm, with farmers in Kenya and India most concerned, according to the release.

“Farmers are already experiencing the adverse effects of climate change on their fields and at the same time they play a key role in tackling this huge challenge,” Rodrigo Santos, member of the board of management of Bayer AG and president of the Crop Science Division, said in the release. “This is why it is so important to put their voice front and center. The losses reported in this survey make the direct threat climate change poses to global food security crystal clear. In the face of a growing world population, the results must be a catalyst for efforts to make agriculture regenerative.”

In the research results, 55% of farmers placed fertilizer costs among the top three challenges, followed by energy costs 47%, price and income volatility 37%, and the cost of crop protection 36%.

Farmers are taking steps to mitigate climate change, the release found.

More than 80% of surveyed farmers are already taking or planning to take steps to apply measures that contribute to reducing greenhouse gases, according to the release. The top focus areas are using cover crops (43% do so already or intend to do so), using renewable energy or biofuels (37%) and using innovative seeds to reduce fertilizer or crop protection use (33%), according to the release. Alongside this, every single farmer surveyed claims to already apply or plans to apply measures to help biodiversity, the release said.

Over half (54%) say they already applied measures to protect insects, such as insect hotels, or plan to do so in the next three years.

To be ready for the future, farmers value innovation. Over half (53%) of them say access to seeds and traits designed to better cope with extreme weather would most benefit their farm, according to the release.

A similar number (50%) called for better crop protection technology. Forty-two percent said that better access to irrigation technology would benefit their farm. Looking at their practices, improving efficient land use, diversifying crops and better soil health were ranked as the most important routes to success, according to the release.

Farmers agree on global challenges

Overall, the “Farmer Voice” survey shows that farmers around the world largely share a common view about the challenges of today and the prospects for the future. While there are slight differences between countries, the overarching issues of climate change and economic pressures are of similar concern to all.

“Farmers are facing multiple and related challenges,” Santos said in the release. “But despite this, we found that they are hopeful — almost three-quarters say they feel positive about the future of farming in their country. This is impressive and encouraging. The views expressed by farmers in the report need to be widely seen and understood. They are a call to action for the entire food system to innovate, collaborate, and deliver the solutions farmers need — and we as Bayer are eager to play a leading role in these efforts. There is little time to waste.”