ClimAurea: Supporting climate-resilient agriculture across Europe

Climate change is transforming European agriculture, altering growing conditions, shifting agroecological zones and increasing the frequency and severity of droughts, floods and heatwaves. ClimAurea is a Horizon Europe project designed to help farmers, advisers and policymakers understand these changes, assess their implications and make better-informed decisions for a more resilient agricultural future.

This project develops an innovative pan-European platform combining climate science, Earth observation, advanced modelling, artificial intelligence and stakeholder knowledge. The platform will assess how agricultural conditions across Europe could evolve under a range of climate scenarios through to 2100. Detailed maps and analytical tools will show the future suitability of land for different crops, grassland and livestock systems, helping users identify emerging climate risks as well as potential new agricultural opportunities.

A central focus of ClimAurea is the effect of extreme and compound weather events on agricultural production. Specialist modelling hubs are investigating how droughts, floods, heatwaves and combinations of these events may affect productivity across different European farming systems. The findings will be tested and refined through case studies in Greece, Belgium, Romania and Portugal, representing a diverse range of agricultural landscapes, production systems and climate-related challenges.

Working with farmers, advisers and other stakeholders, the project explores a range of practical adaptation options. ClimAurea will assess not only how effectively these measures reduce climate risk, but also their economic viability, social acceptability and relevance to agricultural and environmental policy.

The project’s evidence and modelling outputs will be brought together within a Digital Twin for Agriculture. This interactive resource will enable users to explore possible futures and compare the likely outcomes of different adaptation strategies. An AI-supported advisory interface will translate complex scientific information into clear, location-specific insights for farmers, advisers and decision-makers.

Harper Adams University is leading key areas of ClimAurea’s work on stakeholder engagement, adaptation pathways and socio-economic assessment. The HAU team are working with agricultural communities and policymakers to co-design realistic adaptation strategies and evaluate their economic, social and policy implications. It is also leading the development of adaptation roadmaps and policy recommendations, helping ensure that project outputs are practical, accessible and aligned with European agricultural and climate priorities.