Climate risks to the food system
Climate change and biodiversity loss are closely interconnected. Both weaken the resilience of the food system and increase uncertainty about the future.
Oijala organic farm in Nastola. Matti Oijala and Stella are walking on the farm. They cultivate a variety of crops organically and also practice landscape management by leaving small forest strips between fields. Photo: Lassi Häkkinen / City of Lahti.
Climate change poses a risk to the entire food system in Finland as well. Although food security remains strong, increasingly extreme weather conditions are already affecting primary production: droughts and heavy rainfall are becoming more common, while winters are growing milder. These changes can reduce crop yields, increase nutrient runoff and create favourable conditions for new pests and plant diseases. In addition, dependence on imported fertilisers and seeds makes us more vulnerable to international crises and supply disruptions.
The risks affect the entire food chain, from field to supermarket shelf. Droughts, floods, and storms can weaken harvests in producing countries, and disruptions to supply chains can make raw materials harder to obtain. Ultimately, the impacts are also felt by consumers as rising costs are gradually reflected in food prices.
In the United Kingdom, biodiversity loss has been identified as a national security risk. One reason is the country’s strong dependence on imported fertilisers and food. If production declines elsewhere or trade is disrupted, the effects are quickly felt there as well.
Opportunities in the sustainability transition
Preparing for the risks facing the food system also creates opportunities for renewal. Regenerative agriculture, for example, improves soil health, enhances biodiversity, increases carbon sequestration and helps soils withstand both drought and heavy rainfall.
Recycling nutrients back into the soil reduces the need for purchased fertilisers. This strengthens farm self-sufficiency and reduces dependence on imports.
In local cooperation networks – known as agroecological symbioses – farms, food processors, and energy producers can use each other’s byproducts. For example, food production waste can be used to produce biogas, and the nutrient-rich digestate from biogas plants can be returned to fields as fertiliser.
Increasing the use of plant-based proteins is also part of the sustainability transition. It offers significant economic potential and opportunities to strengthen self-sufficiency. There is already sufficient knowledge and practical experience to support this transition. What is needed now is cooperation and the courage to transform entire value chains so that sustainable practices become both viable and profitable from primary production to consumers.
The Päijät-Häme food system under review in the Ilmo project
The risks and opportunities facing the food system and key sectors in Päijät-Häme are being examined in the Ilmo – Climate Change Adaptation in Päijät-Häme project. The project is a joint initiative by LAB University of Applied Sciences and the Regional Council of Päijät-Häme and is co-funded by the European Union. We warmly welcome collaboration related to this topic.
