Berlin: Record harvest sparks mass giveaway of free potatoes
5 days ago
- #Berlin
- #food-distribution
- #potato-surplus
- Germans consume an average of 63kg of potatoes per person annually.
- A record potato harvest led to a surplus, dubbed the 'Kartoffel-Flut' (potato flood).
- A farmer organized free potato distributions in Berlin, with 174 pickup points set up across the city.
- Recipients included soup kitchens, homeless shelters, schools, and even Berlin Zoo.
- Residents, facing rising living costs, collected potatoes in sacks, buckets, and handcarts.
- The initiative, named '4000 Tonnes,' was organized by a Berlin newspaper and the eco-friendly search engine Ecosia.
- The surplus revived historical interest in potatoes, including Frederick II's 18th-century 'Kartoffelbefehl' (potato decree).
- Recipes, including Angela Merkel’s Kartoffelsuppe, are being shared online to utilize the surplus.
- Criticism came from farmers, who say the free distribution devalued their crops.
- Environmentalists linked the glut to an overproduction problem in the food industry.
- The initiative is expected to wind down soon, with about 3,200 tonnes still available.