European wheat and barley yields may fall by more than 20% according to a study by Stanford University because of an expected climate warming of two degrees Celsius. The study results show that modest changes in climate can have significant impacts upon crop yields across Europe adding that corn yield losses are estimated to be as much as 10%. Wheat and barley are very sensitive to increases in temperature and respond much more negatively to changes in climate as opposed to corn. Implementing methods such as switching varieties and installing irrigation can provide limited adaptation potential for wheat and barley but can substantially reduce impacts for corn. Farm profits in Spain, Italy, Greece, and southern France are expected to drop between 2030 and 2049 if adaptation methods are not implemented. For northern France, Ireland, the Netherlands, parts of the UK and Germany warmers temperatures could help lift profits.
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