No Waste Army launches National Potato Week

An exceptionally large surplus is putting pressure on the potato supply chain. No Waste Army is therefore launching National Potato Week from April 17 through 26. The goal is to save 500 million kilos of potatoes from going to waste, with support from retail, foodservice, and social organizations.

Large-scale surplus puts pressure on the chain

A combination of a record harvest, collapsed exports, and a saturated market is putting half a billion kilos of potatoes at risk of being lost. According to Thibaud van der Steen, founder of No Waste Army, the situation is unprecedented. “We have never received this many distress signals.” In some cases, farmers are even paying to have their product removed. Plans are also being made in the Netherlands and neighboring countries to destroy large volumes.

More and more parties are joining

The call is quickly gaining traction across the supply chain. Supermarkets such as Ekoplaza, Albert Heijn, and Jumbo are participating, along with Poiesz, DekaMarkt, and Crisp. Caterers, hospitality businesses, and organizations including Vitam, Boerschappen, Stichting Samen Tegen Voedselverspilling, and the Voedselbank have also joined. During the campaign week, they will launch initiatives to help increase potato sales.

Participation through multiple channels

Consumers can take part in several ways. There are campaigns through participating partners, and potatoes can be collected directly from farmers on April 17 and 18. There are also donation options, such as a family-sized bag of gnocchi for the Voedselbank or 20 kilos of potatoes via Care for Charity to Ukraine. No Waste Army is also offering a grocery box with rescued products.

For growers, the initiative comes at a crucial moment. “But in the past 30 years, I have never seen potatoes become truly unsellable,” says farmer Hendrik Jan Koetsier. He still has 220 tons in storage. The Oomen family from Raamsdonk also describes the situation as unique and sees no alternative, without action, for 400 tons of potatoes.

Nowastearmy.nl