An unexpected surplus of potatoes and a campaign against food waste have come together to make April 17 to 26 National Potato Week in the Netherlands.
If you’re a fan of frites, or boiled, or baked or any kind of potato, it’s probably a good time to be in the country; not only will they be on offer everywhere, but they’ll be a bargain—one supermarket chain will be offering two 3-kilo bags for €3.
An abundant harvest has left farmers with an estimated 500 million potatoes, which are currently in storage awaiting consumption or destruction. The initiative to promote the potato was started by Thibaud van der Steen of food waste awareness organisation No Waste Army, and will start next Friday.
Van der Steen knows it’s a big task: everyone in the Netherlands would have to eat 25 kilos of potatoes to make the surplus disappear. Still, he pointed out, “Over 3,000 supermarkets have said they will participate…people can also contact farmers through our site and pick them up directly. It’s making farmers very happy to see people coming to their door to lend a hand.” On the other hand, they are likely less glad to note that market prices have plummeted.
Vincent van Gogh: Still Life with Potatoes (1886-87) Collectie Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam
