The Potato Renaissance 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. The renaissance succeeds only if outcomes stay verified, practical, and shared.

Europatat is hiring a Freelance Data Manager to support its Brussels team in data analysis and advocacy for the European potato sector. The role involves collecting, managing, and analyzing data related to potato trade and sustainability. Responsibilities include monitoring EU statistics, liaising with partners, analyzing trends, and preparing reports. The Data Manager will also enhance Europatat’s internal databases.

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.

Lamb Weston reported Q2 FY2026 net sales of $1.618 billion, up 1%, with net income rising to $62.1 million and diluted EPS at $0.44. Volume grew 8% as price/mix fell 8%, leaving constant-currency sales essentially flat. North America volumes improved enough to restart curtailed lines, while International profitability declined amid higher costs and Argentina start-up expenses. The company reaffirmed FY2026 guidance and raised its quarterly dividend 3% to $0.38.

The piece condemns the human-made humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, emphasizing the lived reality behind headlines: cold, flooding, collapsing health services, hunger, and children paying the highest price. It rejects blanket blame of Jews while holding political leadership and enabling policies accountable for prolonged civilian suffering. Using the humble baked potato as a symbol of dignity and normalcy, it contrasts everyday comfort elsewhere with Gaza’s deprivation, urging practical compassion and meaningful action.

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.

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.

Scientists in Punjab, Pakistan, have developed a potato variety, Ijaz-22, that endures smoggy conditions, addressing concerns over worsening air pollution impacting agriculture. With Punjab cities frequently ranking among the world's most polluted during winter, the Potato Research Institute has created 12 fog-tolerant potato varieties. The focus now shifts to further enhancing smog tolerance to mitigate delays in harvests and reduce crop vulnerability to pests and diseases.

In 2025, Canadian potato production declined by 0.9% to 125.8 million hundredweight due to drought in Eastern Canada, particularly affecting Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. Alberta remained the largest producer, with a 6.9% increase in seeded area, marking the highest level since 2007. Despite favorable harvest conditions, average yields fell to 321.2 hundredweight per acre nationally, influenced by Eastern drought impacts.

Scotts Precision Manufacturing emphasizes engineering excellence with its flagship Evolution Separator, addressing modern potato production challenges like labor shortages and sustainability. The highly adjustable machine improves cleaning efficiency while protecting tuber integrity. Alongside innovative products like the Terra-Siv De-Soiler and Microlift Pro, Scotts provides solutions to enhance yield and reduce damage. Committed to global markets, the company focuses on durable, user-friendly equipment for diverse agricultural needs.

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.

This editorial explores the “best feelings” that sustain the people behind potatoes - hot showers after brutal days, the first bite of a real meal, the comfort of connection, and the rare gift of truly restful sleep. It reframes these simple moments as more than sentiment: they are signals of resilience, safety, and retention in a demanding industry. The piece argues the future of potatoes depends on valuing human recovery as seriously as performance.

Potato News Today’s 2025 “Potato Word of the Year” is resilience - not as a slogan, but as the practical requirement for staying profitable and stable in a tougher era. The editorial traces how resilience showed up across the potato system: soil performance and “tired” fields, climate volatility, shifting pest and disease dynamics, higher-stakes storage management, energy and compliance pressures, and oversupply-driven market stress. Runner-up words include transition, whiplash, saturation/glut, and deadpan.

In 2021, Dr. Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) repurposed an old potato vine crusher to combat weeds through harvest weed seed control, preventing seeds from growing. Initial lab tests in 2022 showed a 60-95% reduction in weed seed germination, and subsequent field tests in 2023 confirmed these findings, with volunteer canola germination reduced by 26%. This effective tool offers farmers a solution as weed resistance to herbicides increases.

The UK government announced the successful eradication of the Colorado beetle, a major potato pest, following its discovery in Kent in July 2023. There were no further finds over two years, leading to the declaration of eradication status. Continuous vigilance from farmers and the public, alongside effective biosecurity measures, were crucial. Officials urge ongoing reporting of suspected sightings to prevent future threats to crops.

This reflective article explores the growing problem of loneliness among older people, especially those in care homes, and connects it to the potato industry’s debt to its elders. It shows how potatoes carry memories of home, work and dignity, and suggests simple, respectful ways for farms, packers and processors to honour former growers and workers, turning a humble crop into a quiet bridge back to human connection, recognition and belonging.

Dr. Hubert Zandstra's passing marks a significant loss for the potato community. As Director General of the International Potato Center (CIP) from 1991 to 2005, he revolutionized the organization by prioritizing smallholders and sustainable agriculture. His legacy includes enhancing research on diverse tubers and advocating for farmers' needs. Zandstra's humble approach fostered global partnerships and knowledge sharing, profoundly influencing agricultural practices worldwide and ensuring the role of roots and tubers in food security.

The International Potato Center (CIP) mourns the passing of Dr. Hubert Zandstra, its Director General from 1991 to 2005. A visionary in agricultural research, he transformed CIP into a leader in root and tuber crop innovation. He spearheaded extensive research and established the Hubert Zandstra Biodiversity Complex. Recognized globally, his commitment continues to influence CIP's mission and strategy, ensuring his legacy endures in agricultural sustainability and innovation.

The renewal process for glyphosate's licence in Great Britain is at a crucial point, with a public consultation from the Health and Safety Executive scheduled for early next year. This consultation will allow input on a scientific dossier from the Glyphosate Renewal Group, aiming for approval by late 2026. Farming organisations advocate for glyphosate's continued use, emphasizing its importance for food security and farm viability.

As the festive season nears, Ireland's food service sector is seeing increased demand, particularly for pre-packed potatoes, despite quality concerns linked to dry growing conditions. In the U.K., the hospitality trade remains challenging, with low demand from small retailers. Growers await contract price confirmation, impacting seed and land decisions. Additionally, shipping delays hinder potato exports to the Canaries, disrupting supplier schedules.

MustGrow Biologics Corp. reported that its TerraSante biofertility product significantly enhanced potato yields, size, and quality in farming trials in Washington State and Idaho. A farmer noted a value increase of approximately US$5,000 per acre against a US$180 cost for the product. Results also indicated improvements in soil health, with yield increases between 26% and 40% observed in previous US trials, confirming TerraSante's effectiveness.

The SAC Association of Potato Producers (SACAPP) conference will be held on February 5 in Dundee, marking its 27th edition. The event focuses on innovation and adaptation in potato production, featuring speakers from the UK and Japan, including insights on water scarcity and clothes made from potato harvest waste. The theme revolves around leveraging data for production success, promising valuable discussions and networking opportunities for attendees.

Scientists from The James Hutton Institute, in collaboration with the University of York and Université Libre de Bruxelles, have identified how the destructive pathogen Phytophthora infestans evades plant defenses. By using AA7 oxidases, the pathogen disables plants' early warning systems. This discovery offers promising avenues for enhanced crop protection, crucial for addressing global food security challenges, particularly as climate change exacerbates vulnerabilities in agriculture.

Agristo's establishment of a processing plant in Grand Forks is anticipated to significantly benefit North Dakota's potato industry and local economy. Tom Nilson, a potato farmer, is optimistic about this partnership, which marks Agristo's first U.S. facility. The plant will utilize Red River Valley potatoes for frozen products, including french fries and hashbrowns. Despite the excitement, Nilson feels the pressure of this pivotal business transition.