Insurance company warns:

Climate change threatens our food security

Global warming threatens the domestic agricultural sector because 80 percent of yields depend on the weather.

(Bild: P. Huber)

On Monday, Hagelversicherung painted an alarming picture of the effects of the capricious weather caused by climate change on the occasion of its 2024 annual report. "Austria's agriculture is freezing, burning and drowning at the same time," it said. National food security is at risk. The total damage in the agricultural sector amounted to 260 million euros in the year just ended.

Climate change has long since arrived and brings with it major challenges for the sector. "Frost, hail, storms, drought and flooding caused problems for domestic agriculture last year," lamented hail insurance boss Kurt Weinberger.

Frost damage in the millions
Late frost alone caused damage amounting to 60 million euros. Droughts were responsible for losses of 150 million euros, and hail, storm and flood damage amounted to 50 million euros.

Winegrowers fight the frost with "candles"

(Bild: Franz-Josef Gritsch)

Animal production confronted with epidemics
"Costly weather extremes - caused by man-made climate change - continue to increase in frequency and intensity," it said. "The recurring frost damage in the spring and this year's catastrophic flood damage in the fall show that natural disasters do not only affect the local agricultural sector in the summer." But it is not only crop production that is affected. Animal production is also confronted with animal diseases such as bluetongue and avian influenza.

Bluetongue disease

(Bild: dpa)

Food security threatened by climate change
Global warming is threatening the agricultural sector because 80 percent of yields depend on the weather. National food security is therefore at risk due to crop failures. The situation is exacerbated by "negligent cultivation", which jeopardizes food security. In addition, the construction of dams leads to a significant increase in flood damage, because soil covered with concrete does not store water. According to Weinberger, an ecological economic policy must be implemented in the new year. "Let's see soil and climate protection as an opportunity for the economy, for nature and for future generations."

(Bild: LK Kärnten)

"The hottest year"
2024 was characterized by exceptionally warm and hot temperatures for long periods. "In summary, this year has knocked the hottest year to date, 2023, off the top spot. Another record that points to man-made global warming," writes Hagelversicherung. There have been several record months in the 258-year history of measurements here.

While 13 hot days were measured in the federal capital in the 1980s, this year there were 52 such days in Vienna with more than 30 degrees. Many people tried in vain to cool off at night. In the fall, the heavy rains came with floods in the northeast of Austria, including fatalities.