The announcement by Gut Wulksfelde, a 479-hectare Bioland-certified farm in northern Germany, of its “Kartoffel-Retter-Aktion” (Potato Rescue Campaign) is more than a charitable endeavor; it is a direct response to a pressing economic and ethical dilemma facing organic producers. Faced with an exceptional harvest that exceeded commercial demand, the farm is channeling 160 tonnes of surplus organic potatoes to the Hamburg food bank (“Tafel”). For a contribution of €10, individuals or businesses sponsor a 10kg bag, which the farm then tops up to 12kg for donation, effectively creating a community-funded bridge between surplus and need.
This initiative highlights a critical structural issue in specialty crop markets. As Gut Wulksfelde’s managing directors, Henning Zülow and Hauke Rüsbüldt, explain, ideal growing conditions combined with dedicated care led to a “massive oversupply” that is severely depressing prices. Their experience is not isolated. Across Europe, the organic potato sector faces volatility. For instance, data from Germany’s Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) for the 2024/25 season indicates that while organic potato area has stabilized, yields can be highly variable, and the premium market remains sensitive to oversupply. The farm’s reference to high-quality produce being sold below cost or diverted to animal feed underscores a painful inefficiency where nutritional and economic value is lost. The campaign cleverly circumvents this by establishing a parallel, purpose-driven value stream that stabilizes farm revenue at a fair level (€1/kg sponsored) while maximizing social impact.
The model’s success hinges on digital public engagement—leveraging their online platform for seamless contributions—and a direct, weekly logistical pipeline to the food bank. This addresses a growing need; German food banks report consistently increasing demand, making a reliable supply of staple foods like potatoes invaluable. The action transforms a problem of plenty into a case study in supply chain resilience, demonstrating how farms can proactively manage gluts without resorting to destructive market dumping or waste.
Gut Wulksfelde’s Potato Rescue Campaign presents a compelling, replicable model for managing agricultural surplus in a socially responsible and economically sensible manner. For farmers, agronomists, and cooperatives, it demonstrates that innovative value chains extending beyond traditional wholesale markets are essential for risk mitigation. The campaign underscores the importance of building direct community relationships and utilizing digital tools to create alternative offtake channels. In an era marked by both climate-driven yield fluctuations and increasing food insecurity, such models do more than rescue potatoes—they strengthen the social license of agriculture, enhance community resilience, and provide a pragmatic blueprint for aligning farm viability with societal need. The true yield of this harvest is measured not just in tonnes, but in social capital and systemic innovation.
