Las repetidas olas de calor que hit France have caused a dramatic excess of animal mortality, with hundreds of thousands of poultry and tens of thousands of pigs dead.
According to David Renaudeau, zootechnician and research director at Inrae, the density in intensive farms prevents animals from dissipating heat, generating physiological exhaustion that accumulates with each episode.
In western France, where 70% of pig production and 30% of dairy production are concentrated, the losses were especially severe. In Gers, with temperatures above 40 ºC, an emergency plan was activated to prevent the collapse of animal carcass processing services.
Impact on Intensive Livestock Farming
- High animal density: prevents dissipation of body heat.
- Service collapse: processing plants overloaded by the accumulation of carcasses.
- Physiological exhaustion: risk of cumulative effects on herds.
- Urgent adaptation: facility design will need to be reconsidered by 2050 to face climate change.
Human Consequences
The heatwave also had a strong impact on public health:
- Between May 24 and 28, there were 300 additional deaths, 14% more than usual.
- In June, with temperatures above 40 ºC and record nights averaging 22 ºC, about 1,000 additional deaths were recorded.
- 85% of the deceased were over 65 years old, especially in Paris and its outskirts, where morgues were overwhelmed.
Political Debate
The crisis generated tensions in the French Parliament:
- The ecologist deputy Cyrielle Chatelain announced a motion of censure against Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, accusing him of not anticipating the emergency.
- Lecornu defended the management and was in favor of an investigation commission on climate change adaptation.
- The scientific consensus indicates that climate change intensifies extreme weather events, forcing the acceleration of adaptation policies.
Upcoming Episodes
Météo-France anticipates a new heatwave with temperatures above 35 ºC in the coming days. The unprecedented recurrence of these phenomena raises doubts about the resilience of livestock and health systems.
Heatwaves in France are leaving a double crisis: massive mortality in livestock farms and the increase in human deaths, especially among the most vulnerable.
The phenomenon forces a rethinking of intensive production models and the acceleration of climate adaptation policies to prevent these tragedies from recurring more frequently in the future.
