It’s hard to believe, but a German agricultural business in the region south of Leipzig is currently sitting on tons of potatoes and doesn’t know what to do with them. A massive surplus of the popular tuber has been left over – the order had already been paid for, but due to the current market situation, there was no longer any demand for it. To prevent the potatoes from lying unused in the farm’s warehouses and spoiling, they were brought to Berlin as part of a joint campaign by Osterland Agrar GmbH, the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper, and the search engine Ecosia. Two tons of them will be delivered to Neukölln Town Hall on Thursday, January 22, 2026, and distributed there free of charge. Up to five kilograms will be distributed per person.
The potatoes are not only being distributed by the kilogram to private individuals at Neukölln Town Hall – 22 tons have already gone to the Berliner Tafel food bank. In total, they were distributed to 48 distribution points and around 400 social institutions. Daycare centers and hotels also reported that they were able to set up their own distribution points and that the potatoes sold out very quickly there. For example, potatoes were distributed free of charge today at the “Garten der Sinne” (Garden of the Senses) in Mahlsdorf.
The campaign has several objectives: On the one hand, it aims to prevent food waste, as the potatoes would otherwise have been processed into biogas or animal feed. On the other hand, it aims to support people and families in need while raising awareness of the issue of food waste. The situation clearly shows how far supply and demand in the agricultural market can sometimes diverge. Last year’s potato harvest in Brandenburg was so abundant that the vice president of the state farmers’ association even had part of his harvest processed in biogas plants in order to get rid of it. At the end of September, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture had already predicted the largest potato harvest in 25 years.
The potatoes can be picked up on Thursday, January 22, 2026, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Neukölln Town Hall (entrance in the courtyard on Erkstraße, opposite Erkstraße 3). While supplies last, each person will receive about four to five kilograms. Please bring your own containers such as nets or backpacks. Parking is not available on site.