Harvest also under threat

Lack of snow in Italy: green mountains in winter

(Bild: kameraone)

Never since records began has January been as warm worldwide as this year - and this can also be felt in the Italian ski resorts. In addition to a lack of snow on the slopes, the hot winter is also being felt in agriculture. Farmers are already warning of a "collapse of nature. 

According to the Italian Institute for Atmosphere and Climate (ISAC), it is the warmest January since records began and snow is hard to find even at an altitude of 2250 meters.

The Italian mountains have lost 30 snow days in the last century. The lack of snow could become an economic problem for ski resorts. However, the decline in snowfall also has serious consequences for the preservation of Italian glaciers.

Climate change is causing snow days in Italy to melt away.(Bild: kameraone)

Farmers: "Hot winter causes nature to collapse"
Unusually mild weather and drought in Italy are also reducing harvests this winter and putting a heavy strain on agriculture. "A hot winter is causing nature to collapse", warned Italy's largest agricultural association Coldiretti on Thursday. Some plants would flower too early and suffer damage if the temperature dropped.

The drought also threatened to disrupt the sowing of cereals, pulses and vegetables, which would also have an impact on animal feed, the association said. "Italian agriculture is the part of the economy that, more than any other, is feeling the consequences of climate change on a daily basis," said Coldiretti.

Italian farmers make their way to a demonstration in Rome on February 8, 2024.(Bild: LaPresse)

Farmers want more support from the government
The farmers' association called on the Italian government to support farmers, who are forced to react to the changing weather and its impact on crop cycles, water management and the soil. Coldiretti called for more commitment from institutions to support innovation, from Agriculture 5.0 with drones, robots and satellites to GMO-free green genetics.

Concerns about the climate as well as low producer prices, rising costs and cheap imports have prompted Italian farmers to join their counterparts across Europe in organizing mass protests to demand action from the authorities. A large demonstration of farmers with their tractors is planned in Rome on Saturday.

According to data published on Thursday by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, the world has experienced the warmest January since records began. Italy had already experienced a major heatwave last year.