BELGIUM/FRANCE - Belgium is the world's largest exporter of frozen potato products. And that takes a lot of potatoes. An unprecedented Belgian success story. What does the chain look like behind that bag of frozen croquettes or that large packet of chips?
The ecological, social, environmental and social consequences of the increase in scale required for this are incalculable. What impact does the chip factory have on villages and landscape? How does this growing industrial agriculture affect the environment? And what about the position of the independent farmer?
The Belgian Dutch-language news site Apache, the Belgian French-language news site Médor and the French Mediacités set up a cross-border investigation to show how the potato industry works.
The preliminary research for this project was financed by the Pascal Decroos Fund.
The authors who received support from the Fund wish to remain anonymous.
ONLINE
- Project page: http://www.frietbonzen.eu/
Apache (in Dutch)
- De agro-industrie achter je pakje friet, Apache, 16/02/2021.
- De grondhonger van aardappelgigant Clarebout, Apache, 16/02/2021.
- De gouden knol blinkt niet voor iedereen, Apache, 17/02/2021.
- De bodem is moe, Apache, 18/02/2021.
Médor (in French)
- Des frites, oui mais à quel prix, Médor, 16/02/2021.
Médiacités (in French)
- La frite industrielle impose sa loi à la culture de la patate, Médiacités, 16/02/2021.
