Belgians Asked to Eat More Fries to Use Up Potatoes

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Who ever said no to two helpings of fries?

Belgium currently has 750,000 potatoes stockpiled that could potentially go to waste. To address the issue, residents are being asked to double their intake of fries (or Belgian frites) at home.

The country’s potato farmers face destroying thousands of tons of potatoes due to the closing of restaurants and snack bars in mid-March. Even festivals that focus on Belgian frites have been canceled, and that has affected the crop’s industry.

As a result of the decrease in demand for potatoes, trade organization Belgapom is calling for people to assist with the surplus and eat fries twice a week at home. While there remain some snack bars open for take-out service, not enough people are going out unless it is an essential trip.

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“…part of the potato stock will still be used and we can avoid seeing excellent food, for which our farmers have worked so hard, being lost,” Flemish agriculture minister Hilde Crevits said, according to the Brussels Times.

Belgapom is also donating 25 tons of potatoes to food banks every week until the end of May to help prevent the crop from going to waste.

“Our entire potato chain is happy that thanks to this action, some potatoes are still finding their way to the 460 distribution points of Belgian food banks,” Romain Cools, the secretary-general of Belgapom, said.

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