The Austrian World Summit 2026, held at the Hofburg in Vienna, focused on numerous solutions to the challenges of climate change. Politicians, scientists, entrepreneurs, and international decision-makers discussed how societies can become more resilient to rising temperatures, droughts, and extreme weather events.
One idea ran through many of the discussions: Adapting to climate change is no longer a matter for the future, but a pressing issue of the present. This is particularly evident in agriculture. As the world’s population grows, many farming regions are coming under increasing pressure. The key challenge, therefore, is:
How can we continue to generate stable yields in the future if water is increasingly becoming a limiting factor?
The answer does not lie solely in additional irrigation. Rather, the efficient use of existing precipitation is becoming increasingly important. Soil plays a central role in this. Every liter of water stored in the root zone after a rainfall remains available to plants even during dry periods. The better soils can absorb and retain water, the more resilient crops become to drought stress. This ability is increasingly becoming a decisive factor for success. Alongside variety selection, fertilization, and crop management, the soil’s water-storage capacity is taking center stage in modern agriculture.
Technologies and measures that help retain water in the soil for longer can help stabilize yields and reduce dependence on additional irrigation. This approach is becoming increasingly important, especially in regions with irregular rainfall.
For Green Legacy, this very idea is a central component of sustainable climate adaptation. After all, climate protection isn’t just about reducing emissions. It’s equally important to develop solutions that help plants cope with the changes that are already being felt.
The Austrian World Summit has shown that many of these solutions are already available. The key question is no longer whether we need to take action, but how quickly we can put effective measures into practice.
After all, the future of food security doesn’t begin in the field—it begins in the soil.
