NEARLY half the farmers in the West Midlands region believe they will need to change their work patterns to cope with environmental issues such as climate change.

An annual survey of more than 1,000 farmers throughout England and Wales has revealed that not only will they have to adapt their practices, but they also feel unclear about the impacts of climate change and new environmental legislation, especially the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

The ADAS Farmers' Voice Report 2005 shows that the future of farming is also an area of concern for individuals. Farmers in the West Midlands are concerned about the future of their business. They feel that farming has a limited future because of a changing business environment. Forty four per cent of them believe that within the enxt five year they will have to diversify practices to ensure sustainability.

The results also showed that 83 per cent of the respondents' in the West Midlands believe they do not have all the information relating to the WFD and its far-reaching implications. While they may acknowledge the benefits the directive will bring, 41 per cent were not aware of the actual impact the WFD will have on their business.

Similarly, 40 per cent of the West Midlands farming community felt poorly, or not at all informed, about climate change impacts.

"Climate change and WFD will affect all individuals in some way, but it's clear that farmers feel as though they are very much in the dark about its impact upon their business,"said Julian Hayes, ADAS West Midlands regional director.

However, some farms have already begun adapting their practices as a result of extreme weather conditions and the region is making progress by introducing new measures, such as revised cropping patterns.