Sustainability News

From research plot to real farm: Closing the adoption gap in Quebec potatoes

January 29, 2026

Quebec potato growers approach new technologies based on economic and structural factors rather than philosophy. Key influences include clear ROI, alignment with operational constraints, and local proof. Common barriers to adoption arise from complexity, upfront costs, and potential unintended consequences. Successful technologies emphasize simplicity, support, and measurable results. While sustainability engagement is rising, skepticism persists when policies are misaligned with agronomic realities. Collaborative research partnerships foster better adoption by respecting farmers’ operational constraints.

‘Pesticide pioneers’: University of Idaho research team taking novel approach to develop new fungicides for potato farmers

January 29, 2026

A University of Idaho team is innovating agricultural fungicide development through computer molecular modeling. With a focus on potato diseases, they have screened under 60 compounds and identified 15 effective candidates, aiming to introduce novel fungicide classes targeting specific fungal proteins. The project, supported by state and federal grants, could offer growers new crop protection solutions and generate substantial royalties for the university.

Canada: New potato varieties show signs of better nitrogen efficiency in Cluster 4 trials

January 27, 2026

The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) is spotlighting a potential shift in how potato varieties could be selected in the years ahead: not only for yield, quality, storability, and disease profile, but also for how efficiently they use nitrogen. Early multi-province research suggests that nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) may become a key selection trait for potato varieties. Recent findings indicate newer cultivars could outperform older ones in yield while requiring less nitrogen.

The storage baseline that saves crops: 10 measurements every potato facility should track mid-season

January 21, 2026

Mid-season potato storage success is rarely luck – it’s disciplined monitoring. This Storage Season Essentials article outlines ten practical measurements that act as an early-warning system for shrink, rot, bruising, and spring quality issues. It explains why temperature profiles, supply air and plenum conditions, RH and dew point, CO₂ trends, fan run logic, static pressure, outside air context, walk-through checks, and consistent logging matter. A “common scenarios” guide shows how to respond sensibly.

NPC CEO says specialty crops need more relief

January 19, 2026

National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles expressed that current government aid is inadequate for specialty crop growers facing high input costs and low market prices. He noted that while the USDA is making efforts, the resources available fall short, with specialty crops needing around $5 billion amid expectations of receiving only $1 billion. Industry groups are collaborating with Congress to seek more support linked to upcoming legislation.

When better questions change the industry: What a year of reflection revealed about potatoes and people

January 1, 2026

After a year of sustained inquiry and reflection, a clear pattern has emerged: the potato industry is changing not only in practice, but in how it thinks. This editorial explores how deeper questions – around people, ethics, resilience, and legacy – are reshaping industry discourse. It argues that maturity lies not in having all the answers, but in asking the right questions at the right time.

Humane farming meets processing procurement: Are potato buyers ready to reward animal-welfare-linked practices?

January 1, 2026

Potato buyers already influence how potatoes are grown through contracts, sustainability scorecards, and incentive programs – but animal welfare still sits mostly outside potato procurement. This article explores how “humane-linked” practices could realistically enter potato supply chains through paid add-ons tied to measurable, verifiable actions such as wildlife-safe agronomy, safer rodent control, responsible amendment sourcing, and transition support. Key 2026 signals include new payment triggers, practical verification, and transparent reporting.

2025: The good news year the potato industry needed – a global round-up of processing expansion, smarter breeding, and value-chain resilience

December 30, 2025

In 2026, the potato sector’s 2025 momentum will be tested by real-world execution. Key watchpoints include whether new processing capacity builds durable grower confidence through fair contracts and technical support; whether storage modernization improves quality, energy efficiency, and safety; and whether sustainability measurement becomes practical and beneficial for farmers.

Natural disasters in 2025: How weather shocks hit the potato industry – and why the ripple effects ran far beyond the field

December 28, 2025

In 2025, natural disasters and extreme weather reshaped the potato industry across multiple countries – with drought, floods, storms, hail, and water restrictions hitting yields, quality, and timing. The impact was not only fewer tonnes, but greater grade volatility, delayed planting and harvest windows, and higher storage risk from stressed tubers. From Maine’s drought disaster designation to Australia’s supermarket shortages, 2025 reinforced that resilience – water security, adaptable contracts, and stress-tolerant systems – is now a core business requirement.

The ‘Potato Renaissance’: How science is reinventing the world’s most overlooked strategic crop

December 24, 2025

This article argues that potatoes are entering a new era as science, technology, and market pressures converge. Faster, more precise breeding, emerging genetic tools, and measured agronomy are improving resilience and predictability under climate volatility. Storage is becoming instrumented and professionalized, reducing losses and protecting quality. Processing is expanding into high-value ingredients, while circular models turn by-products into revenue. Automation stabilizes labour-intensive operations.

‘Age of the Potato’: Why 2026 may mark the start of a new global chapter for the world’s most underestimated crop

December 21, 2025

Entering 2026, the “Age of the Potato” article argues that converging pressures and breakthroughs are elevating potatoes from staple to strategic asset. Climate volatility, food security needs, precision breeding, smarter storage, and expanding processing are unlocking higher yields, nutrition, and ingredients. Beyond food, potato starch and by-products are feeding bioplastics, adhesives, paper, textiles, and pharma-cosmetics pathways. If innovation stays grounded, verified, and inclusive, potatoes can help reorganize food and materials systems.

Greying fields, thinning benches: Why the potato industry’s ageing workforce is becoming a demographic wake-up call

December 18, 2025

The potato sector is aging in step with wider agriculture, and the risk is no longer abstract: skills, succession, and operational capacity are thinning across farms, storage, research, and processing. Using verifiable statistics from the U.S., EU, Canada, Australia, and Japan, the article explains why potatoes are especially exposed now, then outlines practical levers for growers, processors, researchers, financiers, and retailers to rebuild a viable pathway for younger entrants globally.

Powdery scab and PMTV put market access at risk as soil pathogen prevalence climbs in Idaho

December 17, 2025

Recent testing by the University of Idaho Extension shows that 75% of Idaho potato fields are infected with the pathogen Spongospora, which causes powdery scab, impacting U.S. potato marketability, especially in exports to Mexico. A new two-year project funded by a $130,000 Specialty Crop Block Grant aims to develop management strategies against these diseases. Researchers will evaluate various control measures, including irrigation management and fungicides, to mitigate the spread and effects of powdery scab and PMTV.

Potato News Today launches a Living Dictionary for the Global Potato Industry

December 13, 2025

Potato News Today is launching the Living Dictionary of the Potato Industry, curated and compiled by Lukie Pieterse. This practical, plain-language reference hub is designed to help potato professionals across the value chain align terminology and reduce confusion. The Dictionary launches with an initial 800 core terms – 100 terms in each of eight sections – covering everything from agronomy and storage to trade, crop protection, sustainability, and data. It will expand over time, with reader suggestions welcomed.