Potato farmers raise concerns as growing threat puts harvests at risk: 'You're on a race against the clock'

Potato farmers in Europe are facing tough times because of the impacts of bad weather and rising costs.

What's happening?

This year's potato season in Europe has been especially challenging for farmers there. The challenges they have endured include an insufficient seed supply to start the season, which caused seed prices to climb.

The weather then made things worse, with heavy rain delaying planting earlier in the year and has also delayed harvesting. Studies have shown that an overheating planet is supercharging the hydrological cycle, which likely is increasing the intensity of extreme precipitation events and raising the risk of flooding.

The European potato sector is expected to see a drop in production of potatoes this year, with forecasts suggesting a reduction of nearly 9% compared to last year's yield.

"New challenges appear as climate change takes its toll," according to the North-Western European Potato Growers. "Heavy and constant rainfall during the planting season and summer led to plantings spread over a period of more than 10 weeks! This occurred mainly in Belgium and the southern Netherlands and less so in France and Germany. The majority of plantings occurred in conditions with poor soil structure. Important rainfall before, during, and after plantings caused one of the largest late blight pressures ever."

Farmers are feeling the effects of this challenging year firsthand.

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"You can soon find yourself in a loss-making scenario. Potatoes have become a very high-risk crop," Robert Strathern, owner of Fairfields Farm Produce in England, told the BBC. "Now you're on a race against the clock and the weather to get the crop in before it turns. Generally, the potato here has been dropping as growers have less appetite for that risk."

Why are problems for Europe's potato farmers important?

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, our warming world can affect food security by disrupting food availability, interrupting food delivery, and sending food prices higher.

Potatoes rank as the world's fourth-most important food crop, behind rice, maize, and wheat. Rising prices will make this vital source of food harder to get for many parts of the world where potatoes are a food staple.

Americans have seen the impact at grocery stores. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor, the average price of a one-pound bag of potato chips has soared to nearly $6.50 compared to $4.50 10 years ago. That's a jump in cost of more than 44%.

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What's being done about climate change impacts on food staples?

New research and technology offer hope for the future of the world's food supply. According to an international team of researchers, advances in vertical farming systems can make them more efficient and less energy-intensive to help boost yields.

A discovery that was nearly 15 years in the making has positive implications for global food security. A study from a multinational team of researchers recently found that with the proper growing methods, soil health and crop yields actually improved in warming conditions.