A global perspective is also given by the Global Environmental Change and Food Systems (GECAFS) project. The GECAFS Goal is to determine strategies to cope with the impacts of global environmental change on food systems and to assess the environmental and socio-economic consequences of adaptive responses aimed at improving food security.

In May 2008 the UK’s Farming Futures project (funded by Defra, among others) released a survey of farmers’ attitudes to climate change. It found that ‘almost half of farmers in England interviewed by Farming Futures report that they believe climate change presents more risks than opportunities to their businesses. More than 50% say they are already affected by climate change, and almost 70% expect to be affected in the next ten years.’

In May 2008, the Australian Government’s Bureau of Rural Sciences (BRS) published Climate Risk and Industry Adaptation which looks at climate change, how rural farming communities perceive the risks and how these risks are being managed in four drought-affected areas.

Climate change and the European Countryside, a joint report by the University of East Anglia Climate Research Unit and the Country Landowners and Business Association indicates that climate change impacts on agriculture and forestry are already widespread across northern and southern Europe, causing farms and estates to adjust their farming and forestry practices.