Material Flow Analysis and Roadmap for The Potato Valley

In the northern ”clay areas” of Fryslân and Groningen, seed potatoes are the mainstay of the arable farming system. With 8% of the world’s seed potato exports (to more than 90 countries), this region occupies an absolute top position. However, the sector also faces major challenges in terms of climate, soil, salinisation, crop protection and the quality requirements of seed potatoes. To maintain and strengthen this top position, The Potato Valley has been established as a knowledge platform for seed potatoes. The Potato Valley Foundation and its members feel the need to make cultivation more sustainable, among other things by closing the raw and auxiliary material cycles.

Structure

The analysis started with mapping the baseline situation, by looking at the current raw material flows and relating them to their impact on climate change. The study was not limited to the cultivation of the seed potato alone, but took a broader view of the value chain during the analysis. High-impact value chain activities were identified as hotspots and formed the basis for research into measures to reduce the impact in the future.

Result

Based on our study, a set of measures were proposed for tackling the identified hotspots and the main findings were summarised in a Roadmap. The measures are also divided according to the action perspective of a number of relevant actors.