On 27 August 2025, industry leaders gathered in the Netherlands for the business-focused conference “Europe’s Place in a Changing Potato World”, co-organised by Potato Europe, Europatat and World Potato Markets in the context of the trade fair Potato Europe 2025. The event featured two panel discussions focused on how the European potato sector can remain competitive and respond to shifting global trade dynamics.
Moderated by Berta Redondo Benito, Secretary General of Europatat, the conference brought together speakers from across the potato value chain, including growers, traders, processors and breeders, who shared data-driven insights and first-hand market experience with a large audience of professionals.
Each panel discussion was preceded by a brief market presentation by Cedric Porter (Editor, World Potato Markets), who shared key data and trends shaping the current landscape of global potato trade and production. These insights provided essential context for the debates that followed and helped frame the challenges and opportunities ahead for the sector. You can download Cedric Porter’s presentation slides here.
Part One: How can European potatoes remain competitive?
The first panel explored the internal challenges and opportunities for the European potato sector, particularly in the context of market volatility, production surpluses, policy constraints and the need for innovation.
Dutch seed potato grower Bianca de Winter emphasised the importance of developing more resilient varieties that can tolerate climate stress and regulatory constraints. “After a dry season, we fear that it could start raining and make harvesting difficult. The more extreme weather conditions are a challenge, alongside others including the restrictions in the type of crop protection products we can use and the need for more sustainability.”
Offering a more optimistic perspective, Francisco Moya, Managing Director of France’s Group Vitalis, highlighted the growing global demand for potatoes, particularly in markets outside Europe: “The world potato market is still very good with consumption increasing in many countries, especially outside Europe. The challenge is to get people to eat more fresh potatoes, particularly young consumers.”
Christophe Vermeulen, CEO of Belgapom, painted a more cautious picture: “We are in the middle of a perfect storm of over-production, stronger competition and political uncertainty.” To face potential pressure in the market this year, he urged the sector to maintain a strong focus on quality and innovation.
Despite acknowledging the difficulties ahead, the panel agreed that the sector remains resilient. Vermeulen reminded delegates that the Belgian industry alone invested over €1.5 billion in raw potatoes in 2024, demonstrating its long-term confidence and commitment.
Part Two: Global potato trade – New players and markets
The second panel turned the spotlight on the rapidly evolving global trade landscape, where new players (mainly China and India) are challenging traditional European leaders, and domestic markets are becoming more fragmented and price-sensitive.
Erika den Daas, Managing Director of Meijer Potato, emphasised the importance of breeding varieties adapted to local conditions, especially as climate-related challenges intensify across both Europe and emerging markets. She stressed that collaborative innovation in seed breeding remains crucial for keeping Europe competitive while supporting partners in other regions.
From the perspective of one of those rapidly growing markets, Soundararadjane S., CEO of India’s HyFarm (HyFun Foods), highlighted that whilst there has been a lot of focus on the increase in exports of Indian processed potato products, they are still very small compared to the growth of sales within India: “Fresh sales account for €11.3 billion in sales every year, with growth of 3% a year. Three locally bred varieties account for 80% of supply, with the growth in demand driven by population growth and increased sales. It is a fragmented volatile and price-sensitive market.”
Looking at global trade from a processor’s viewpoint, Kristof Wallays, Chief of Global Expansion at Agristo, described the current season as one of rebalancing: “This reset may take two or three years to stabilise,” he remarked, underlining the need for long-term adaptation and continued investment in both export diversification and product innovation.
While the mood at Potato Europe 2025 was one of realistic caution, the message was clear: Europe still holds a strong position in global potato trade, and the sector’s ability to adapt through quality, innovation, and collaboration will determine its continued success.
The content of this article has been kindly provided by Cedric Porter, from WPM. For more information and the full WPM latest issue, please get in touch with cedric@supplyintelligence.co.uk
