Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW MAY/JUNE 2020 9 SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS for processed potato goods - a gure which is increasing year-on-year. An ever-increasing population, partnered with diets of developing markets changing, has also fuelled the rise in demand for potatoes over the past decade. Problematic production impacting yields Although the increase in demand is a positive sign for the industry, it can also create challenges in terms of ensuring there is an availability of harvests. Climate change is a huge global concern, touching all industries and sectors, and comes as a massive threat to the quality and overall yield of potatoes. e unpredictability of weather conditions can impact how, where and when crops can be grown, due to the changes in which are caused to the land and climate. In a time when optimised yields are integral to meeting demand, we need to be more reactive in the eld to nd new ways to manage production in a destabilised environment. A recent example of where climate change impacted potato yields was during the summer of 2018, when large droughts hit Europe. Potato production in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the United Kingdom dropped owing to the unusually extreme heat and lack of rain, with the harvest dropping by around 30% on average. However, in contrast, other markets have seen such bumper harvests in recent times that they haven’t been able to handle the sheer amount of produce. In 2017, India’s largest potato production region saw such a harvest that producers and farmers couldn’t handle the crop, leaving large amounts wasted owing to limited infrastructure. In both instances, there has to be a change in the behaviour of the supply chain to deal with potential circumstances “Although the increase in demand is a positive sign for the industry, it can also create challenges.” The ever-growing population and climate change will pose questions on how we grow, produce and process resources. TOMRA - Rethinking Food ➜ Emerging markets are repositioning the potato as an alternative to rice and wheat

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