Bayer CropScience and Dutch potato specialist Farm Frites have announced the beginning of a food chain partnership initiative designed to implement sustainable agricultural practices in potato cultivation in the Netherlands and Belgium.
The goal of the partnership is to support a bottom-up approach with potato growers, addressing value-added sustainable potato-growing practices at individual farm level—intended to minimize the environmental impacts of agricultural production in order to keep potato farming attractive in the long term.
“Potato is a valuable crop for farmers in western Europe and a key raw material for the potato processing industry, for example for flakes, mash and french fries,” said Leon Boer, director of potato procurement at Farm Frites. “Therefore, the implementation of sustainable practices is a must for local farmers. With this collaboration we want to enable our contract growers to consistently meet our high quality standards and stay competitive.”
Within this initiative, Bayer CropScience will share its vast expertise in potato agronomy and sustainability measures.
“Bayer CropScience’s contribution to sustainable agriculture is at the core of our business supporting our customers with innovative solutions, proactive stewardship and partnerships,” said Silke Friebe, head of food chain management at Bayer CropScience. “Our core competencies lie in developing and supplying integrated crop solutions that are locally adapted and tailored to the individual needs of our customers. The common goal is to help drive a sustainable productivity increase and to improve crop quality.”
Source: Fruitnet