European heatwaves threaten to push up Swedish food prices
Tuesday 11th August 2026 on 06:15 in
Sweden
Heatwaves and wildfires across Europe could drive up food prices in Sweden this autumn, SVT reports. Damaged harvests are adding pressure to a market already affected by the wars in Ukraine and Iran.
Nine million tonnes of grain have been destroyed in the European Union and the United Kingdom, according to the European trade organisation Coceral. The losses are directly linked to Western Europe experiencing its hottest June on record. Damage to European food production is estimated at about 20 billion kronor, according to The Guardian.
Shon Ferguson, an associate professor of economics at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, said heatwaves in particular in France and Spain were likely to push up prices this autumn.
“France has experienced several heatwaves during the spring and summer, and they have had a negative effect on wheat and maize production,” Ferguson told SVT.
Grain production is not the only area affected. Harvests of fruit and vegetables have also declined, while meat could become more expensive because of the shortage of grain.
Carl Eckerdal, chief economist at the Federation of Swedish Food Industries, said the impact would not be temporary. He said consumers should get used to higher food prices as a result of global warming.
“Heatwaves are the new normal, and that is not positive for food production, wherever they occur. Climate effects contribute to an annual increase in food inflation of between 1 and 3 percent,” Eckerdal told SVT.
Energy and transport price increases are also affecting food costs. Uncertainty over the conflicts involving Iran and the Black Sea could further affect prices, Ferguson said, including whether Ukraine and Russia will be able to export grain this autumn.
Despite the risks, Ferguson said Sweden’s food production had so far coped relatively well and that there was no reason for alarm from a consumer perspective. Six years of successive crises had made the food system more robust and quicker to respond, he said.