IPCC
Sixth Assessment Report — Food, Fibre and Ecosystems
The scientific consensus on climate impacts to food systems.
Our work · Agriculture
Cooling the landscapes that feed us.
A research program investigating how passive cooling technologies may support agricultural resilience under extreme heat — across crops, livestock, workers, irrigation, storage and rural buildings.
- Applications
- 7
- Technologies
- 4
- Status
- R&D
Feeding a hotter world.
Rising temperatures, more frequent heatwaves, water shortages and changing weather patterns are placing unprecedented pressure on agriculture. Around the world, farmers face declining yields, increasing crop stress and growing uncertainty. Cooling crops and reducing heat exposure is becoming an increasingly important strategy for protecting global food production.
Agriculture is one of the sectors most exposed to climate change.
Many crops evolved within relatively narrow temperature ranges. As global temperatures rise, even a few additional degrees during flowering, fruit development or grain filling can significantly reduce yields and crop quality.
Heat stress affects plant growth in many ways. Photosynthesis becomes less efficient, water demand increases, pollen viability declines, fruit set is reduced and crops mature more quickly — often before reaching their full yield potential.
Climate change is also increasing drought frequency in many regions, while warmer conditions accelerate evaporation from soils and irrigation reservoirs. Together these factors make farming increasingly difficult and expensive.
Protecting crops from excessive heat is therefore becoming an essential part of climate adaptation and future food security.
MEER is developing passive cooling technologies that reduce the solar energy absorbed by crops, agricultural infrastructure and surrounding surfaces — with the potential to reduce heat stress, lower irrigation demand and improve resilience without energy-intensive cooling systems.
up to 30%
Many crops lose a significant share of their yield when exposed to prolonged heat during critical growth stages.
570M+
Farms worldwide depend on increasingly unpredictable weather and water supplies.
70%
Agriculture accounts for roughly 70% of global freshwater withdrawals.
Billions
Climate change threatens food security for billions of people through declining agricultural productivity.
More heatwaves
Heat extremes are increasing across many of the world's major agricultural regions.
Climate threats to agriculture
Heat stress
Higher temperatures reduce crop productivity and increase plant stress.
Water scarcity
More evaporation and reduced rainfall increase irrigation requirements.
Soil moisture loss
Hotter conditions dry soils more rapidly, increasing water demand.
Pollination failure
Many crops experience reduced pollination during extreme heat.
Pest & disease expansion
Warmer climates let agricultural pests and diseases spread into new regions.
Extreme weather
Floods, droughts and heatwaves increasingly disrupt harvests worldwide.
Agricultural regions under climate stress
Select a crop to see how a warming climate is affecting its growing regions.
Cocoa
West Africa (Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire)
Rising temperatures and changing rainfall threaten cocoa production across the West African belt.
Crops under pressure
Hover or focus a crop to see the climate challenge it faces.
- CocoaWarming and erratic rainfall shrink the suitable growing belt.
- CoffeeArabica loses quality and yield above its narrow temperature range.
- GrapesEarlier ripening changes sugar and acid balance in the fruit.
- CitrusHeatwaves cause sunburn and raise irrigation demand.
- BananasHeat and shifting rainfall stress plantations and spread disease.
- MangoesIrregular flowering follows warmer, less distinct seasons.
- WheatHot spells during grain filling shorten the ripening window.
- RiceWarm nights lower grain set and increase water use.
- MaizeHeat and drought at flowering cut kernel numbers.
- VegetablesHeat reduces fruit set, quality and shelf life.
- OrchardsMilder winters reduce the chilling hours trees depend on.
- VineyardsRising canopy temperatures accelerate ripening and heat damage.
- GreenhousesInternal temperatures climb beyond what ventilation can manage.
Why cooling agriculture matters
Passive cooling works alongside existing agricultural practices rather than replacing them.
Traditional agricultural adaptation has focused primarily on irrigation, drought-resistant crop varieties and changing planting schedules.
While these remain important, reducing the solar heat absorbed by crops, soils and agricultural infrastructure offers another powerful adaptation strategy.
- reduce canopy temperatures
- lower plant heat stress
- reduce irrigation demand
- improve worker comfort
- protect livestock
- reduce water evaporation
- improve greenhouse performance
- increase climate resilience
Learn more
Scientific and institutional evidence on climate change and food systems.
Read more(opens in a new tab)
FAO
Climate Change and Food Security
UN Food and Agriculture Organization on adaptation and resilience.
CGIAR
Climate-Smart Agriculture
Global research partnership on resilient food systems.
Nature Food
Nature Food
Peer-reviewed research across food production and sustainability.
Our World in Data
Food Production
Open data on yields, land use and agricultural emissions.
NASA Earth Observatory
Agriculture and Climate
Satellite observations of croplands, drought and growing seasons.
Cooling agriculture for a changing climate.
MEER is developing a range of passive cooling technologies designed to reduce heat stress across agricultural systems.
Our work includes reflective canopies, passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) materials, reflective mulches, reservoir cooling systems, high-albedo agricultural infrastructure and other approaches that lower temperatures while reducing water demand.
By preventing excessive solar heating before it reaches crops, soils and agricultural environments, these technologies have the potential to improve yields, conserve water and strengthen resilience as the climate continues to warm.
Please note
Research and Product Development
MEER's agricultural work is at an earlier stage than our urban rooftop research. Most applications on this page sit in concept research, laboratory development or early prototype testing. We are investigating how the same core physics — reflection, emission and shading — can be engineered for the very different conditions of a working farm.
Nothing on this page should be read as a finished agricultural product. It should be read as a description of an evolving research program.
[ Why this matters ]
A warming climate is a farming problem.
Farms sit on the front line of climate change. Adapting agriculture to a hotter world will require a mix of tools. MEER is researching whether — and how — surface-cooling technologies can be part of that mix.
Crop heat thresholds
Many staple crops lose yield sharply above specific temperature thresholds — often before drought stress even sets in.
Hotter land surfaces
Bare and dark soils amplify daytime heat around plants and animals, well above the ambient air temperature.
Longer, hotter seasons
Extended heat exposure affects flowering, pollination, ripening and grain fill in ways that cumulative averages hide.
Worker safety
Outdoor agricultural labor is among the most heat-exposed work on the planet, with rising health and productivity risks.
Livestock stress
Heat stress reduces feed intake, milk yield, fertility and welfare across most livestock systems.
Water losses
Higher surface temperatures accelerate evaporation from soils, irrigation systems and open water bodies.
[ Agricultural landscapes, not just crops ]
Cooling agriculture is a landscape problem.
Any credible cooling response has to think at multiple scales at once — from a single plant, through a whole field, out to the infrastructure and buildings that make farming possible.
Plant scale
Microclimate around individual plants — leaves, canopy layer, root zone temperatures.
Field scale
Land surface temperature across whole fields; heat loads on soil, workers and equipment.
Farm scale
Buildings, storage, livestock housing, irrigation infrastructure and shaded working areas.
Landscape scale
Interaction with reservoirs, canals, rural settlements and regional heat patterns.
[ Where the portfolio may apply ]
Seven agricultural environments, one research portfolio.
Each application is investigated as its own engineering problem. The stage badges show where the work currently sits — most is still in early research or prototype testing.
Prototype Testing
Crop protection
Research into modular reflective canopies that reduce peak leaf and soil temperatures during the hottest hours while allowing enough light through for growth.
Relevant technologies
Canopies
Concept Research
Livestock
Investigating how reflective roofs and PDRC coatings on animal housing can reduce heat stress and improve welfare in warmer regions.
Relevant technologies
Reflective RoofsPDRC Coatings
Concept Research
Irrigation infrastructure
Research into reflective covers and floating systems for irrigation ponds and canals to reduce evaporation and surface warming.
Relevant technologies
Floating Systems
Prototype Testing
Agricultural workers
Shaded rest and working areas for outdoor labor, combining canopies with reflective ground surfaces to reduce radiant heat exposure.
Relevant technologies
CanopiesReflective surfaces
Engineering Design
Storage facilities
Cooling of grain stores, cold chain facilities and post-harvest buildings using reflective and radiative treatments on roofs and walls.
Relevant technologies
Reflective RoofsPDRC Coatings
Concept Research
Greenhouses
Research into selective reflective materials that manage heat load inside protected growing environments without compromising photosynthetically useful light.
Relevant technologies
PDRC CoatingsReflective surfaces
Field Validation
Rural buildings
Homes, workshops and community buildings in agricultural regions — the same reflective and PDRC systems used in urban work adapted for rural stock.
Relevant technologies
Reflective RoofsPDRC Coatings
[ Ongoing research and development ]
Modular Reflective Canopy Systems
A flexible, low-cost approach to reducing heat exposure across farmland.
Modular reflective canopy systems are being explored as a flexible approach to reducing heat exposure in agricultural environments. Individual canopy sections can be deployed where protection is most needed, helping create cooler working areas and reducing radiant heat over selected crops.
Because each module stands alone, coverage can be adapted to different farming systems — concentrated over nurseries and harvesting areas, spread across sensitive plots, or moved as the growing calendar shifts. This is an area of active research rather than a commercial product.
Flexible modular deployment
Individual canopy sections can be placed where protection is most needed, then reconfigured as the season changes.
Reduced heat exposure for workers
Shaded, high-albedo cover creates cooler places to work, rest and handle produce during the hottest hours.
Protection for heat-sensitive crops
Selected plots can be covered to lower radiant heat over crops that are most vulnerable to heat stress.
Scalable deployment
The same modular units can serve a smallholding or be repeated across larger agricultural sites.
Passive cooling
Cooling comes from reflection alone — no pumps, fans or external energy supply are required.
Adaptable by climate and practice
Spacing, height and coverage can be tuned to different climates, crops and farming systems.
[ How it works ]
- Incoming sunlight01
- Highly reflective canopy02
- Reduced solar heat absorption03
- Lower radiant heat beneath the canopy04
- Cooler working and growing environment05
Future Research
MEER is investigating modular reflective canopy systems as a potential way to reduce heat exposure in agriculture. Research is focused on understanding how reflective canopy technologies could support worker wellbeing, crop resilience and climate adaptation across a range of agricultural environments.
[ One subset of reflective agriculture ]
Highly Reflective Agricultural Tunnels
Reflecting incoming solar radiation to create cooler growing conditions for protected crops.
MEER is researching highly reflective agricultural tunnel systems that combine advanced reflective coverings with sustainable structural materials, including bamboo where appropriate. These systems are designed to reduce solar heat gain while maintaining productive growing conditions for selected crops.
This is deliberately a narrow case. Reflective crop tunnels suit only certain crops in certain climates, and they are one of many possible approaches to reflective agriculture — not the primary mitigation pathway for agricultural surfaces as a whole.
Reduced crop heat stress
Less solar load reaching the canopy during the hottest hours of the day.
Lower internal temperatures
Highly reflective coverings turn away incoming solar radiation before it becomes heat inside the tunnel.
Improved water efficiency
Cooler growing environments reduce evaporative losses and irrigation demand.
Sustainable frames
Supporting frames may be built from bamboo or other locally available sustainable materials, depending on regional requirements.
[ How it works ]
- Incoming sunlight01
- Reflective covering02
- Solar radiation reflected away03
- Cooler interior04
- Healthier crops05
Future Research Direction
Reflective growing tunnels are one line of enquiry within MEER's broader work on reflective agricultural surfaces — alongside reflective mulches, shade structures, and field-scale albedo management. The emphasis remains on the reflective surface technology itself; supporting frames may be constructed from bamboo or other locally available sustainable materials, depending on regional requirements.
Concept research — not an existing large-scale deployment.
[ Protecting people on the farm ]
Reflective Farm Shelters
Providing cooler working environments for agriculture in a warming world.
Outdoor agricultural labor is among the most heat-exposed work on the planet. MEER is researching how simple, low-cost shelters built from bamboo frames and highly reflective canopy material could give farmers shaded places to harvest, sort, pack, rest, and meet.
The aim is not to replace existing farm buildings, but to add flexible, rapidly deployable cooling where workers need it most — without mechanical air conditioning or heavy infrastructure.
Reduced heat stress
Deep shade plus a reflective upper surface lowers the heat load on farmers during the hottest hours of the day.
Improved worker wellbeing
Cooler rest and work areas reduce fatigue, support longer safe working windows, and protect vulnerable workers.
Lower radiant heat exposure
The high-albedo canopy reflects solar radiation before it is absorbed and re-radiated toward people below.
Sustainable, low-cost construction
A simple bamboo frame and modular reflective covering can be assembled with locally available materials and skills.
[ How it works ]
- Incoming sunlight01
- Highly reflective canopy02
- Reduced heat absorption03
- Cooler shaded workspace04
- Improved worker comfort and productivity05
Future Research Direction
MEER is exploring highly reflective canopy systems for agricultural shelters that could help protect farmers from extreme heat while supporting more resilient and sustainable food production. Design questions — including bamboo frame durability, canopy tensioning, wind resistance, and cost at scale — are still under investigation.
[ How the portfolio applies to farms ]
Same physics, different engineering.
The underlying physics — reflection of sunlight and emission of thermal radiation — is identical to MEER's urban work. What changes is the engineering: modularity, ease of installation, durability against wind and dust, compatibility with agricultural operations.
Rather than repeating the technology descriptions here, we treat this page as a study of how our existing portfolio may be adapted for agricultural conditions.
- Canopy Systems
Modular reflective canopies adapted for fields, workshops and animal housing — allowing engineered shade without permanent structures.
- Reflective Roof Systems
The same high-albedo treatments used in cities, applied to rural buildings, storage facilities and animal housing.
- PDRC Coatings
Passive daytime radiative cooling materials that keep coated surfaces cooler than the surrounding air even in direct sun.
- Floating Reflective Systems
Concept research into floating covers for irrigation ponds and reservoirs to reduce both evaporation and surface heating.
- Future engineering
Ongoing work into how these systems can be manufactured, installed and maintained in rural and low-infrastructure environments.
- Scientific validation
Instrumented field measurement of surface temperature, air temperature and productivity indicators alongside every deployment.
[ An iterative research program ]
Innovation and deployment research happen in parallel.
Rather than waiting until laboratory work is “finished” before engaging with the real world, MEER develops, tests, measures and refines agricultural cooling systems through an iterative loop of scientific research and real-world validation.
- Research continues
- Engineering continues
- Materials evolve
- Prototypes improve
- Field validation deepens
- Evidence guides every step
[ Where each technology sits ]
Every application on this page is part of MEER's research and engineering pathway.
We move from concept, through the laboratory, into engineered prototypes and instrumented field trials. Nothing on this page should be read as a finished commercial product unless explicitly described that way elsewhere on the site.
- Stage 01
Concept Research
- Stage 02
Laboratory Development
- Stage 03
Engineering Design
- Stage 04
Prototype Testing
- Stage 05
Field Validation
- Stage 06
Future Deployment
[ Related ]
Continue exploring the research program
Our Technologies
The full research and engineering portfolio — including the technologies being adapted for farms.
ExploreWater Resources
Research into reflective floating systems for reservoirs, canals and irrigation infrastructure.
ExploreUnderstanding Albedo
Why the reflectivity of a surface is central to any cooling strategy.
ExploreRadiative Cooling
How PDRC materials emit heat past the atmosphere into cold space.
ExploreCooling Return on Investment
How different cooling approaches compare on energy in versus cooling delivered.
ExplorePublications
Peer-reviewed and open publications from the MEER research program.
Explore[ Join the research ]
Research the world's agriculture will increasingly need.
If you are a farmer, researcher, agronomist or partner interested in field-testing passive cooling in agricultural environments, we would like to hear from you.