Brittany & Normandy France

Brittany & Normandy in France is one of TRANSFORM's replication regions, coordinated by Chambers of Agriculture of Normandy and Brittany

With more than 3 million hectares of farmland, Brittany & Normandy represent 11% of France’s farmland. Renowned for their dairy and beef farming, they produce much of the country’s milk, butter and cheese. The region is also a major producer of vegetables (artichoke, cauliflower, carrot) and cereals, notably wheat, barley and maize.

Brittany & Normandy feature a diverse landscape, from rugged coastlines and tidal marshlands to rolling pastures and fertile valleys, which has enabled agricultural specialisation, with dedicated areas for dairy farming, vegetable production and cereal cultivation.

Agriculture and climate change

Since 1960, temperatures have risen by 1.1°C, with milder, wetter winters and drier summers becoming more frequent. Some crops, such as maize and forage grass, are increasingly sensitive to these periods of drought. Farmers are also facing new challenges, including the spread of crop diseases like mildew in potato fields and emerging pests affecting apple orchards.

Changes in temperature and precipitation

Climate change projections between 1991-2010 and 2041-2070 for this region* 

SeasonMean temperaturePrecipitation
Winter+1,05°C+12,27mm
Spring+0,89°C+14,33mm
Summer+1,53°C25,19mm
Autumn+1,70°C-11,67mm
Evolution of the mean temperature and precipitation between the period 1991-2010 and projections for 2041-2070 according to the high emission scenario RCP8.5 in Brittany & Normandy – source: https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/en/knowledge/european-climate-data-explorer/agriculture 

Adapting to new conditions

To adapt, farmers need to optimise water management, rethink crop rotations and explore new climate-resilient crops such as buckwheat and sorghum.

We are very curious to see how the models that we will use in the TRANSFORM project will give us figures about yield variations for current crops.

Gabriele Fortino – Chamber of Agriculture of Normandy

Regional Leaders:

Marion HASSENFORDER

CHAMBER OF AGRICULTURE OF BRITTANY

Climate Change Adaptation Officer

Gabriele FORTINO

CHAMBER OF AGRICULTURE OF BRITTANY

Crop Production Agronomy Advisor