Germany distributes 4,000 tons of potatoes for free after a record harvest.

An unprecedented potato harvest in 25 years has allowed thousands of tons of surplus potatoes to be distributed free of charge throughout the German capital, Berlin, from zoos and soup kitchens to residential areas.

According to official statistics, the average German consumes about 63 kg of potatoes per year. However, last year’s harvest far exceeded expectations, astonishing even the most passionate potato lovers.

A warehouse containing 4,000 tons of surplus potatoes belonging to the  agricultural company  Osterland Agrar GmbH in Frohburg, near Leipzig. Photo: Osterland Agrar GmbH

The excellent harvest, known as Kartoffel-Flut (potato flood), prompted a farmer near Leipzig to launch a campaign to collect and distribute potatoes for free in Berlin.

In response to the call, numerous soup kitchens, homeless shelters, schools, churches, and non-profit organizations have received large quantities of potatoes.

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The Berlin Zoo also joined the "rescue campaign", receiving tons of potatoes that would otherwise have been thrown away or used in biogas production to feed the animals.

Two more trucks of potatoes have been sent to Ukraine as part of the humanitarian aid.

Berliners, especially those struggling with rising prices, flocked to 174 makeshift distribution points across the city. Potatoes were piled high in sacks, buckets, wheelbarrows, and even old backpacks.

In Kaulsdorf, a suburb east of Berlin, Astrid Marz said she harvested more than 150 potatoes. "I think that’s enough for my family and neighbors for the rest of the year," she added.

The campaign, called 4000 tons, was organized by a Berlin newspaper in collaboration with Ecosia.

Social media is full of recipes for "rescuing" surplus potatoes, from former  Chancellor  Angela Merkel’s famous Kartoffelsuppe soup to the sophisticated variations of Michelin-starred chef Marco Müller.

Although once overlooked due to their association with carbohydrates, potatoes are now being praised by experts for their nutritional value, including vitamin C and potassium.

However, the large-scale distribution campaign was also criticized by some farmers, who argued that the Berlin market was becoming increasingly saturated and that agricultural prices were being depressed even further.

Environmental activists see this surplus as a consequence of an out-of-control food system, reminiscent of the "mountains of butter" and "lakes of milk" of 1970s Europe. Last year it was hops, this year it’s potatoes, and many predict it will be milk next year.

According to the organizers, there are still approximately 3,200 tons of potatoes pending distribution.