How French farmers are responding to climate change

With unseasonal frost damaging grapevines in four of the past five years, growers need to find new ways to adapt to climate change

Climate change has reduced milk yield by 15% in the past 10 years, estimates Cédric Briand, right, who farms organically in partnership with Hervé Mérand, left, and Mathieu Hamond. They have 44 cows of the Bretonne Pie Noir rare breed.

It was haymaking season in Brittany in France last week.

Organic farmer Cédric Briand said hay time has come three weeks early, brought on by dry weather. On this 60-hectare dairy farm with 44 cows, which depends heavily on May grazing, Cédric will have to hope the dry weather won’t cut short the grazing days needed for profitable production and for organic specifications.