Croatia agriculture faces climate adaptation challenges

Climate change adaptation is a critical challenge for the Croatian agricultural sector, requiring structural changes such as increased investment in irrigation, more efficient technology, and the use of adapted crop varieties and hybrids.

Aleksandar Mešić, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb, notes that frequent droughts, heatwaves, and shifting precipitation patterns create production uncertainty and lower or unstable yields. While drought does not always result in lower production, it typically leads to higher production costs. These increased costs are eventually passed down the value chain to consumers, putting upward pressure on food prices and potentially risking the availability of certain food types.

Mešić highlights that the resilience of producers will depend on their ability to manage water and soil, utilize technology, and organize production effectively. He also points out that Croatian agriculture currently lacks sufficient competitiveness, a situation exacerbated by climate-driven pressures.