Agtech Helped Transform Europe’s Potato Industry. Here’s How.

https://www.agriculturedive.com/news/

Technology is a critical tool for farmers to comply with new sustainability regulations and keep up with mounting consumer pressure to take action on climate change, writes Solynta’s Charles Miller at Agriculture Dive. But as the experience of Europe’s potato industry shows, new products won’t be enough to drive change unless farmers are on board.

Potato farmers have had a challenging few years. In 2022, a severe drought led to a significant reduction in the European Union’s anticipated potato crop, up to 11%. The following year, unusually wet weather severely impacted the crop. And, as in most years, there was the threat of potato blight —impacting both organic crops and conventional production.

Despite these challenges, farmers still had to comply with Europe’s Farm to Fork, a plan to create a more sustainable and localized food system. Among other requirements, it calls for reduced chemical use and a shift to sustainable practices, posing the question of how to maintain or even increase food production.

In the face of these challenges, we saw evolution. The European potato industry has been overhauling itself, and it has only been possible with change management — namely, willingness to try, patience with the process, and a deep understanding that the way of doing things must evolve.

Read more at Agriculture Dive.