How regenerative agriculture can help with record heat
This year's record temperatures are not an isolated incident, but rather the culmination of a trend that has persisted for years and shows no immediate solution in the medium or long term. However, hope comes from a British study published by Barclays, conducted on a sample of 233 farms.
Agriculture vs. the heat wave
Martin Lines, chief executive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, commented bluntly on the situation in an interview with the Financial Times: “Farmers are panicking about what to do… But those who started regenerative farming 10 or 15 years ago are in a more stable position.”
This acceleration towards new production methods is driven by both climate change and trade imperatives, with agricultural input costs rising 6.7% in the year ending April 2026. One piece of good news comes from fertilizer prices, which are more stable than expected due to rising international tensions. Michael Haverty, partner at the consultancy Anderson's Centre, explained: "Much of that concern has dissipated. Fertilizer prices have not increased as much as initially feared. As things stand, there is time for supply to recover before the next major fertilizer applications in the spring."
On the livestock front, experts recommend adapting livestock management to heatwaves, for example by moving feeding times to cooler hours. However, Martin Lines was critical of the use of enclosed structures to protect animals: "Building more sheds to house animals is crazy if we see temperatures above 30 degrees. Unless you add air conditioning." Alternatively, planting hedges and trees to provide natural shade is recommended. Holly Purdey, an organic farmer in Somerset, said: "The best time to plant a tree was yesterday. Sometimes farmers only act when they reach an emergency point, because on farms we often find ourselves managing fires."
The shift to sustainable practices is also supported by the UK's new post-Brexit agricultural schemes, recently reformed by the Labour government to allow even the smallest farms to access funding. Commenting on the economic motivation behind these choices, Martin Lines concluded: "Farmers always follow the money."
