Bristol farmer warns extreme weather could threaten future of food production
A fourth-generation farmer from Bristol has warned that increasingly unpredictable weather is forcing farmers to question whether they can continue producing food in the years ahead.
Last updated 1st Sep 2026
Tim Hopkin, who farms with his family and founded agricultural mapping company Land App, said the impact of this summer's weather had already been felt on his own farm, where cattle had to be removed from water meadows because there was not enough fodder for them.
The disruption has left Tim questioning whether keeping livestock will remain viable if conditions continue to become more unpredictable.
Hopkin expressed uncertainty about future farming decisions, saying, "Do we have livestock next year? Should we sow the crops next year?"
He warned that farmers across the UK could soon encounter similar dilemmas.
Hopkin said the issue goes beyond individual farms, arguing that extreme weather could become a threat to Britain's food security if agricultural land is not made more resilient.
He believes measures including improving soil organic matter, slowing the movement of water through landscapes and planting the right vegetation could help farms cope better with both drought and flooding.
But he said farmers need government and food retailers to make those changes financially viable, arguing that the current funding system places too much administrative pressure on farmers.
On his own farm, Hopkin said the family is involved in several environmental funding schemes but described the process of accessing them as an "unbelievable admin nightmare", with farmers often paying advisers to navigate the paperwork.
He is calling for government funding to be more strategically targeted, so farmers can be paid to introduce measures where they will have the greatest impact.
"If farmers don't get paid to put the right thing in the right place, they simply cannot afford it," he said.
Hopkin's Land App was developed after he studied regenerative agriculture and struggled to find technology that could help him make strategic decisions about his family's farm.
The digital mapping platform now helps farmers and land managers assess their land and plan changes, with Hopkin arguing that technology could make it easier for farmers to respond to environmental pressures without adding to their workload.
He said the priority should be preparing for future climate risks now, rather than waiting until damage has already been done.
He said: "The longer we go without having more strategic interventions, the more we're going to pay the price down the road,"
He wants to ensure farmers can remain profitable while building resilience into the land they depend on to protect individual family farms and the country's longer-term food supply.
Defra says it is providing £65 million in additional funding to help farmers manage the drought and build resilience to future extreme weather.
The department says the package includes support for livestock, crops and on-farm water storage, as well as greater flexibility in environmental schemes.
The Government says the dry weather is not expected to affect national food security.