EU potato sector points to climate, changing consumer habits as production drops by 37% in over 20 years

As a new Eurostat report points to a sharp drop in EU potato production from 2000 to 2023, a sector representative tells Euractiv that tighter EU regulations on pesticides, changes in Europe’s climate, and shifting consumer habits are among the main causes.

From Belgian frites to Spanish tortilla de patata and Italian gnocchi, the starchy root is a culinary cornerstone across Europe. However, over this period, yearly production plunged by 36.7%, meaning EU countries are producing 27.9 million tonnes fewer than they did in 2000, according to data published by Eurostat on 8 August.

In 2023, EU countries harvested 48.3 million tonnes of potatoes, up from 47.5 million tonnes in 2022, a year marked by severe drought.

Germany leads the way in terms of production, accounting for 24% of the total in 2023, followed by France with almost 18% and the Netherlands with 13.4%. At the same time, Romania (32.4%) and Poland (25.1%) have the largest number of potato farms, although they remain small in economic terms.

Berta Redondo, Secretary General of Europatat, a Brussels-based lobby group representing potato traders, told Euractiv that multiple factors explain the drop in production.

Highlighting “radical changes in the European climate”, she pointed to the drought in 2022 and the excessive rainfall in Western Europe last autumn and spring.

Another contributing factor is the EU’s tightening of restrictions on pesticides, particularly those that are important for pest control in potato farming. “Our farmers have fewer and fewer tools to combat pests and plant diseases,” Redondo added.

In 2019, the European Commission did not renew the approval for ethoprophos, an active substance used in plant production products against wireworms in potato crops, citing toxicity concerns.

In 2018, the EU banned all outdoor uses of three neonicotinoids—imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and clothianidin—due to their harmful effects on pollinators.

EU to tighten grip on emergency pesticide use with new guidance on derogations

The European Commission wants to tighten the leash on emergency use of EU-banned pesticides, according to a draft version of a new guidance document seen by Euractiv, which states that countries cannot allow the use of substances that are explicitly prohibited within the bloc.

Redondo also pointed to rising production costs, particularly for fuel and energy, exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as an additional blow to the sector.

“All this could push farmers towards less risky crops,” said Redondo.

Millennials vs. frites

Shifting consumer habits are also impacting EU potato production.

“Young consumers are cutting carbs from their diets or swapping potatoes for ‘more exotic’ alternatives,” said Redondo.

To tackle this, Europatat launched in 2020 a €3.4 million promotional campaign, co-financed by the European Commission, targeting millennials – people born between 1981 and 1996 – in Flanders (Belgium), France, and Ireland.

The campaign, which is to run until 2025, features more than 300 recipes designed to integrate potatoes into modern lifestyles, with influencers and celebrities showcasing the tuber’s versatility to shake off its “traditional food” image.