El Niño Taskforce: what it is and why you should join

The 2026–27 El Niño is forecast to be one of the strongest on record, peaking this winter. It is already hitting harvests in Latin America, Africa and Asia, and it brings real risks for UK farming through wet planting seasons, poor fodder supplies and rising food import costs. The forecasts are there; what’s missing is practical advice for the people who have to act on them. When the UK Government gathered experts to assess El Niño’s impact this year, food was the biggest topic, yet no specialist agri-food university was in the room. Harper Adams is well placed to fill that gap.

We are forming a staff–student taskforce to launch a free online El Niño Help Desk in December. Farmers, growers and food businesses send in their questions, in any language. We prioritise the most urgent ones, and experts from Harper and partner organisations worldwide answer them in short 5–10 minute videos, each with a plain-language action card.

Why join:

• Every discipline is needed. That includes crops, livestock, soil and water, food, vet sciences, engineering, data and AI, business, social science, communications, video and languages.
• The time commitment is flexible. You can give an hour a month or more, as suits you.
• It’s a high-profile project with real impact, and a chance to connect with experts and partners in the UK and overseas.
• Students can gain hands-on experience of a real-world climate response.
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You don’t need to know about climate science, just a willingness to help.

We’ll then meet to agree roles together.

Any questions, just get in touch with - FAuat@harper-adams.ac.uk