News on Climate Change

Nearly one-third of the world’s farms have adopted more environmentally friendly practices, while continuing to be productive (sustainable intensification), according to a global assessment by 17 scientists in five countries.

The warm and dry weather of recent months has caused a commotion in the potato sector in Northern Europe. This is why representatives of both the Dutch and Belgian potato sectors came together to discuss the situation and to voice their concerns.

The North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG) conclude that the potato production this year in North-Western Europe will be much lower than average and that quality issues will be a main challenge.

Research at the James Hutton Institute has identified genetic variations which can help protect potato crop yields at high temperature, potentially providing potato breeders with a valuable tool in their quest to create varieties resilient to heat stress

The extreme heat and drought is a disaster for the upcoming potato harvest. And for processors too: in Belgium, potato chips manufacturer Roger&Roger (Croky) temporarily halts production of some its flavours to manage the lack of potato supply.

The Potato Processing companies in the United Kingdom have released a statement through the Potato Processors’ Association Ltd (PPA), expressing their concern for the impact of current weather conditions on UK potato processing sector.

The total area in Great Britain planted with potatoes is estimated at 119,000 hectares(ha), a fall of three per cent on the previous year. This would represent the third-lowest planted area on record, with an agricultural drought likely to affect yields.

The German Association of Fruit, Vegetables and Potato Processing Industry (BOGK) expects that the potato harvest in Germany and Europe will be significantly reduced in quantity, as well as quality compared to the previous year due to the long ongoing drought and heat wave.

Four of the largest food companies in the United States have launched the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance, a new organization focused on driving progress in public policies that shape what people eat and how it impacts their health, communities, and the planet.

Total potato production in North-western Europe will be mostly determined by yield, as extreme drought plagues the crop, growing on a one percent larger acreage

Tubers were the talk of the town in Cusco, Peru during the week of May 27, when the 10th World Potato Congress (WPC) and the 28th Congress of the Latin American Potato Association (ALAP) were held together for the first time.

En las zonas rurales de Bolivia, hacer una vida sostenible es cada vez más difícil para los pequeños agricultores. Y son las mujeres las que están enfrentando los efectos del fenómeno (Reportaje de la Deutsche Welle)..

QSR chain McDonald’s has announced it will partner with franchisees and suppliers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to McDonald’s restaurants and offices by 36% by 2030 from a 2015 base year in a new strategy to address global climate change.

To deal with climate pressures, potato growers in Kenya are turning to contract farming to earn more money and get better seed.

The government of Canada last week announced a $1.8 million investment in a research project at the University of British Columbia that includes the development of beneficial management practices for increasing the efficiency of fertilizer use in potatoes.

Farmers in India can expect higher yields and profits with the release of a new potato variety, Kufri Lima, developed by the International Potato Center (CIP) and the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI)

El Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, NEIKER-Tecnalia ha cerrado un proyecto de investigación sobre variedades de papa que mejor se adaptan a las condiciones previstas de cambio climático.

Scientists have identified a version of a single gene involved in the heat stress response that is more active in potato types that can tolerate high temperature, potentially providing potato breeders a tool to make potato varieties less vulnerable to increased temperature.