A farm in Saxony, Germany, has begun giving away potatoes for free, after massive amounts of harvested spuds went unsold, in an effort to prevent food waste.
The giveaway is the result of a major surplus following a bumper potato harvest and a mismatch between supply and demand, which has left around 4,000 tonnes (about 8.8 million lbs) of stored potatoes unsold.
Rather than let the harvest go to landfill, the farm, with help from local organisers and eco-friendly search engine Ecosia, set up distribution points for people to take the potatoes for free.
Surplus potatoes distributed amid debate over impact on farmers
According to website Bauern Zeitung (Farmers Newspaper), the surplus potatoes came from a harvest that exceeded market demand, leaving the farm with millions of pounds of spuds that would otherwise likely be wasted.
While the total haul is estimated to be just shy of 9 million lbs, the website notes that only a fraction of these (around 440,000 lbs) are in the process of being delivered to various distribution points, including food banks.
While one might think free potatoes for all could only be considered a universal boon, famers’ organization, the Brandenburg Farmers’ Association, called the initiative a “disgusting PR stunt,” claiming it would “destroy regional markets.”
By offering the potatoes for free, the farm and its partners say they hope to divert them from waste streams. Bauern Zeitung notes that Germany produced more than 14 million U.S. tons in 2025, 17% more than average.
In 2025, a Polish farmer experienced the opposite problem when a viral social media post falsely claimed he was giving away free potatoes.
