Climate Change, Water and Agriculture in France

This text has been lifted from Le Monde in English.

According to the 2010 Conseil d'Etat report, "L'Eau et Son Droit" ("Water and its right"), agriculture consumes 48% of all water [in France]. This figure rises to 79% in summer.

Agricultural choices play a role in the increasing dryness of certain regions. Corn [maize] cultivation represents 41% of irrigated crops, according to the consumer information group UFC-Que Choisir. It needs irrigation in July and August, when rivers and water tables are at their lowest. This corn then feeds the animals of industrial livestock production.

In France, in 2010, the Conseil d'Etat noted that the irrigated surface area tripled between 1970 and 2000, in conjunction with increased drilling into the water table, whether it was done legally or illegally. Between 2010 and 2020, the share of usable agricultural land that is irrigated increased by 14%, according to the 2020 agricultural census.

Climate change has serious consequences for water. By 2050, average annual river flows [in France] will decrease by 10% to 40%. Evaporation from the soil and transpiration from the plant cover will increase by 10% to 30%, according to the 2020 report "Changement climatique, eau, agriculture : Quelles trajectoires d'ici 2050".