Conclusions of the Handbook on Climate Change Impacts, Mitigation, and Adaptation in Agriculture, and lessons learned

Robert Mendelsohn and Ariel Dinar

Chapter 23 in Handbook on Climate Change Impacts, Mitigation, and Adaptation in Agriculture, 2026, pp 547-555 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This Conclusion pulls together the main insights of the chapters in the book. One of the main highlights of the book is that new research continues to find that climate change will affect agriculture around the world. The global mean effect of warming remains a yield loss of 7–9% per ℃. But the effect is not at all uniform. Temperature has a hill-shaped effect on yield, with each crop having a different ideal temperature. The book finds evidence from around the world that it is in farmers’ self-interest to adapt to climate change. They can adapt by changing crops, changing irrigation methods, and mixing crops and livestock. The meta study suggests that if farmers adapt, global crop net revenue and rent has an ideal annual temperature of 15℃. This implies warming would be generally beneficial for a few more degrees but immediately harmful in low-latitude low-elevation settings. The book also highlights opportunities for farmers to mitigate both their carbon and their methane emissions. Governments can help farmers cope with climate change through flexible regulations, increasing technical change and technical assistance, and especially by improving the efficiency of water allocation.

Keywords: Climate Change; Impacts; Adaptation; Mitigation; Agriculture; Water (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035344963
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