II · 08 Politics — Environment & Climate
Farming under a changing sky
Agriculture is both affected by climate change and a source of emissions. In 2026 the first of those became very visible: drought and heat cost Germany a significant part of its grain harvest.
Case study · harvest report, 2 September 2026
A crisis of national significance
The minister’s own words: „Wir haben es mit einer Krise von nationaler Tragweite zu tun.“ (“We are dealing with a crisis of national significance.”)
Change compared with 2025 (preliminary)
*Grain excluding grain maize, about 37.4 million tonnes. Bar lengths are scaled to the largest decline (−11.5 % = full width) for comparison, so the bars show relative size, not tonnage.
The harvest report puts total grain production, excluding grain maize, at about 37.4 million tonnes, 7.3 % below 2025. Causes named were drought and heat during the growing season. The German Farmers’ Association published a figure of 41.9 million tonnes, which includes grain maize. The two numbers measure different things and are not contradictory.
The minister announced liquidity assistance of around €1 billion for affected farms.
For comparison, the 2025 harvest had been good: about 44.7 million tonnes including grain maize, almost 15 % up on 2024. The swing between the two years shows how volatile farm incomes have become.
Sources: BMLEH press release 070/2026; Lebensmittel Praxis on the 2025 harvest report. Figures are preliminary.
Connections
Agriculture · climate · resilience · food security
Drought and irrigation
Longer dry periods in spring and summer reduce yields, especially on light soils. Irrigation competes with drinking water and nature for limited groundwater. The 2026 Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin was held under the motto “Water. Harvests. Our Future.”
Crops and animals under stress
Heat during grain filling cuts yields and quality, and livestock suffer heat stress in barns. This links climate adaptation to animal welfare and investment in buildings.
The farmer’s capital
Healthy soil stores water and carbon. Erosion after heavy rain and loss of humus reduce long-term productivity.
Pollinators and landscapes
Insect decline and the loss of field margins and hedgerows are linked partly to intensive farming. EU rules on nature restoration and plant protection create tension with productivity goals.
Damage after dry years
Drought, storms and bark beetles have damaged large areas of German forest since 2018. Forestry is part of the ministry’s remit, including support for converting to more climate-resilient mixed forests.
Who carries the loss?
Crisis aid, multi-risk insurance and tax-free risk reserves for farms are long-standing proposals. Each shifts the burden differently between farmers, insurers and taxpayers.
Analysis
The tension at the centre
Climate policy asks agriculture to cut emissions from livestock, fertiliser and drained peatland. Food-security policy asks it to keep producing, and farm-income policy asks it to stay profitable. The current government has put the emphasis on relief, adaptation and voluntary measures rather than new obligations. Examples are the restored diesel refund, bureaucracy reduction and crisis aid.
Environmental organisations argue that this postpones necessary change and that the 2026 drought shows the cost of delay. Farmers’ organisations argue that farms can only adapt if they are economically viable, and that production moved abroad does not help the climate.
Both arguments contain evidence-based points. The evidence is clear that climate change raises the frequency of droughts and heat waves in Central Europe. What remains disputed is which mix of regulation, incentives and support best reduces emissions while keeping farms in business.