Farmers are warning that heat, drought and wildfires will affect harvests and lead to higher prices for products including olive oil across Europe, The Guardian reports.
Olive groves have been hit by high temperatures amid the climate crisis, which will push up already high prices for olive oil, the newspaper notes. This summer, olive groves have burned in Greece, Italy and Portugal. Even those nearby and spared by the fires have suffered from flying ash and deteriorating air quality. The extreme heat has also led to an increase in pests, diseases and storms and affected the size of the fruit.
“If the weather doesn’t improve soon, we should expect higher prices in the fall as there will be less edible fruit from which to make olive oil,“ said Sarah Vachon, founder of the olive oil group Citizens of Soil.
France is also experiencing problems with the production of lettuce, leeks, garlic, grapes and other products. Spain’s agriculture ministry has forecast that the 2026-2027 grain harvest will fall from last year’s 24 million tonnes to an estimated 18.5 million tonnes. The UK crop has also been hit by a prolonged drought, with wholesalers reporting that they are turning to Spain and other countries for staples such as iceberg and broccoli amid shortages. Jason Bull, managing director of British food importer Eurostar Commodities, said that "recurrent heatwaves have accelerated the ripening and harvesting of winter crops across much of Europe", which has had a negative impact on "grain size, quality and overall yields".