Potatoes are one of the most versatile vegetables because they can be prepared in many ways from roasted and fried to boiled or mashed. Americans, on average, eat a potato every day, making them the second most consumed food in the US. Potatoes were even the first vegetable to be grown in space! Since potatoes are so widely consumed, it is important to know how sustainable they are. So we had to ask: What is the environmental impact of potatoes?

Potatoes have a relatively low negative impact on the environment. Growing potato crops can cause soil erosion, water pollution, and a loss of biodiversity. However, in comparison to other vegetables, potatoes use very few resources like land or water, making their environmental impact smaller.

In this article, we will examine the environmental impact of potatoes from several different angles. We will go through the life-cycle of potatoes, detailing their impact on the environment, from growth to distribution to your plate to waste management. We will then compare the environmental impact of potatoes to that of other vegetables. And, finally, we’ll share some tips with you on how you can reduce your own environmental impact and offset your own carbon emissions – both for your personal life and potatoes-related.

Here’s How We Assessed the Environmental Impact of Potatoes

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is one of the ways we measure the potential environmental effects of our actions, like the consumption of potatoes. It is a holistic assessment based on the environmental changes associated with our consumption. Those are changes in our environment that can have adverse effects on the air, land, water, fish, and wildlife or the inhabitants of the ecosystem.

“Environmental Impact: the effect that the activities of people and businesses have on the environment”

Cambridge Dictionary

Basically, all goods and services you buy – including potatoes – leave an impact on our environment. When it comes to food in general, and potatoes in specific, the following are key factors:

• Land requirements: Large parts of the world that were once covered by forests and wildlands are now used for agriculture. 10 million hectares of forest are destroyed annually and 50% of the world’s habitable land is now used for agriculture. This loss of natural habitat has been the main driver for reducing the world’s biodiversity. 
• Water footprint: 70% of global freshwater is now used for agricultural purposes. By assessing the water footprint of a particular food, we can determine how our limited freshwater resources are being consumed and polluted.
• Pesticide and fertilizer usage: Pesticides and fertilizers provide a range of agricultural benefits. However, numerous studies link pesticides and fertilizers to serious effects on human health, along with disruptions to vital ecosystems and the spread of aquatic dead zones.
• Carbon footprint: The carbon footprint is one of the ways we measure the effects of our human-induced global climate change. Today, food production accounts for over a quarter (26%) of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Waste generation: Food and its packaging account for almost 45% of the materials landfilled in the US alone. And packaging sent to landfills, especially when made from plastics, does not degrade quickly or, in some cases, at all.

To understand the overall environmental impact of potatoes, we must assess each of their key factors. This Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a tool originally developed to identify the environmental impacts of a project prior to decision-making and also helps us to evaluate the environmental impacts of potatoes, from farm to table.

Here’s the Overall Environmental Impact of Potatoes

All crops have an impact on the environment, as a great many resources, like land and water, are needed to produce food on a mass scale. 

Potatoes, however, are some of the most land- and water-efficient crops, and are in the top ten list of vegetables with the lowest carbon footprint. This means that relative to other vegetables, potatoes are a sustainable, low-impact choice.

So, let’s have a look at the environmental impact of each key factor of potatoes!

These are the overall summaries, but there is a lot more to the story. In the next few sections, we will dive deeper into each stage to illustrate to you all the important aspects of potatoes’ environmental impact.

What Are the Land Requirements for Potatoes

Potatoes, like all crops, have an impact on wildlife, habitable land, biodiversity, and soil erosion. However, potatoes are some of the most land-efficient crops, using less land per kilogram of produce than most other foods. This means that the environmental impact of the land usage of potatoes is very low compared to other vegetables.

Growing potatoes has a lot of variables that contribute to their environmental impact. The amount of land they use, the way in which they grow, and the amount of time they take to grow will all contribute to their environmental impact.

How do the land requirements of potatoes impact their environmental footprint?

• What is the land usage of potatoes: The US is the fourth largest global producer of potatoes, with approximately 450,000 acres dedicated to growing potatoes. However, according to the UN, potatoes use ‘less land per kilogram of production than most other foods.’ The Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition found that it takes “5m² to produce a kilogram of potatoes, which is half the area of rice and just 28% of the land needed to produce a kilogram of legumes.” Potatoes have a high yield of 40-70 tonnes per hectare on commercial farms. This means the environmental impact is lower than low-yield vegetables because fewer resources are needed to grow more crops. 
• Where and how are potatoes grown: Potatoes are grown in 30 states, with Idaho growing more potatoes than any other state. Potatoes can adapt to being grown across the country, meaning that locally grown potatoes can be relatively easy to find. These tubers grow underground and around 20 tubers can be grown from one potato plant. Underground vegetables generally require far fewer resources than vegetables grown above ground in fields or energy-intensive greenhouses. Overall, the environmental impact of how potatoes are grown is relatively small.
• How does the growing of potatoes affect soil fertility and erosion: Because potatoes are grown in sandy soils and most of the crop grows underground, the potential for soil erosion is far higher when growing potatoes than when growing other crops, such as cereals or oilseed. This negatively impacts the environmental footprint of potatoes, as soil erosion reduces the fertility of soil and can lead to flooding and water pollution.
• How does the potato industry affect the loss of habitable land: Potatoes are found to use very little land, yet are a nutritious option. Overall, agriculture uses 44% of the planet’s habitable land, with two-thirds of this being used for grazing livestock. This means, overall, 14.7% of habitable land is used to grow crops. Because potatoes are land-efficient, the potato industry does not have a large impact on the loss of habitable land.
• How does the potato industry affect wildlife and biodiversity: The potato industry, like any other farming industry, has a negative impact on wildlife. Small creatures like mice, rabbits, birds, and insects are often displaced or killed in the harvesting process. However, a recent study into the biodiversity footprint of various dishes found potato dishes to cause the least harm to biodiversity, making them a sustainable choice.

In short, potatoes are land-efficient and have a relatively small impact on wildlife, biodiversity, and loss of habitable land. Farming potatoes does cause some soil erosion, but this can be combated with proper soil management techniques. Overall, the environmental impact of the land requirements of potatoes is very low.

What Is the Water Footprint of Potatoes

Potatoes produce more food energy per cubic meter of water used than any other major crop, making them a sustainable choice. However, the starch-filled wastewater produced when processing potatoes can cause water pollution.

Water usage is one of the most important factors in the environmental impact of a vegetable. The amount of water used, as well as the way crops affect the water sources around them, are all major contributing factors. Here, we will look at these different angles to potatoes’ water impact.

How does the water footprint of potatoes impact their environmental footprint?

• What is the overall water usage of potatoes: Potatoes were found to produce more food energy per cubic meter of water used, than any other major crop, in a study by the UN. They are also seven times more water efficient than cereals. This lowers the carbon footprint of potatoes.
• What is the green water footprint of potatoes: The green water footprint is the amount of water from precipitation stored in the soil and used by plants for growth. The global average green water footprint of potatoes is 191 cubic meters per ton, one of the lowest out of the over 200 foods studied. This means their environmental impact is low.
• What is the blue water footprint of potatoes: The blue water footprint is the amount of water sourced from surface (such as rivers or lakes) or groundwater resources. The global average blue water footprint of potatoes is 33 cubic meters per ton, one of the lowest out of the over 200 foods studied. This means they have a small impact on the environment.
• What is the gray water footprint of potatoes: The gray water footprint is the amount of freshwater required to clean up water pollution to meet certain quality standards. Essentially, it’s the amount of water needed to make polluted water clean enough to be safe and healthy for humans and the environment. The global average gray water footprint of potatoes is 63 cubic meters per ton, one of the lowest out of the over 200 foods studied, making potatoes have a low environmental impact.
• How does the potato industry affect freshwater and ocean pollution: Potatoes are washed intensively after harvest, leading to an excess of starch-filled wastewater. This water pollution has a negative environmental impact. For every kilogram of potatoes, around 17 liters of wastewater is produced, making the water pollution of potatoes quite significant. This equates to around 17 L of trash.

In short, the water footprint of potatoes is low, but the water pollution created by processing potatoes negatively affects the overall environmental impact of this crop.

What Is the Agrochemical Usage for Potatoes

The agrochemical use of potatoes is lower than that of other crops, due to a low usage of pesticides. However, the industry-wide reliance on nitrogen fertilizers creates water, land, and air pollution. The industry is trying to move away from these harmful fertilizers to make the growing of potatoes have less of an impact on the environment.

Pesticides and fertilizers are agrochemicals that can have a significant impact on the environment. They both require resources to create as well as have effects on the life around them. Here, we will look at how potatoes’ pesticide and fertilizer rates affect their environmental impact.

How does the agrochemical usage of potatoes impact their environmental footprint?

• What is the pesticide usage of potatoes: The Environmental Working Group has not identified any concerns about potatoes, and almost 74% of potato samples were found to contain no pesticides. Since pesticide usage produces carbon emissions through manufacturing, transportation, and application to crops, the fact that potatoes are treated with minimal pesticides significantly reduces their potential impact on the environment.
• What is the fertilizer usage of potatoes: 34% of the energy usage of growing potatoes is used during the fertilization process. The use of diesel and nitrogen fertilizers has a significant impact on the sustainability of potatoes, as potatoes require a lot of nitrogen to grow. However, studies into adopting more sustainable potato growing practices through cutting the industry’s reliance on nitrogen fertilizers are being undertaken by Branston, the UK’s largest potato supplier. Hopefully, studies such as this will help the potato industry become more sustainable.
• Are there any known issues connected to the agrochemical usage for potatoes: Agrichemical use on potatoes in Iran have been found to pose a health hazard to local farmers due to increased use of pesticides. However, the shift towards growing wild potatoes, which are naturally resistant to blight, such as the Mathilde cultivar, reduces the use of agrichemicals. This reduces the negative environmental impact of potatoes.

In short, a reliance on nitrogen fertilizers while growing potatoes have negative repercussions on the overall environmental impact of this crop. However, potatoes are treated with fewer pesticides than a lot of other crops, and a shift away from pesticides and fertilizers will make potatoes more sustainable.

What Is the Carbon Footprint of Potatoes

Potatoes have a carbon footprint of 0.12 kg (0.28 lb) of CO₂e per pound of produce, which is very low for crops. Over 60% of the carbon footprint is due to the resources used while growing potatoes, such as water and land use, as well as packaging. Choosing organic, fresh, unpackaged potatoes is the most sustainable way to purchase this produce.

Carbon footprint is one aspect of the overall environmental impact of a vegetable. It essentially measures how much carbon or other greenhouse gasses the production of potatoes emits into the atmosphere. Emissions from product manufacturing, irrigation, transportation fuel, and landfills all add up to create the overall carbon footprint of a vegetable. Let’s see how the carbon footprint of potatoes breaks down and contributes to their environmental impact.

How does the carbon footprint of potatoes impact their environmental footprint?

• What is the overall carbon footprint of potatoes: The overall carbon footprint of potatoes is 0.12 kg (0.28 lb) of CO₂e per pound of potatoes, which is very low. Potatoes produce less than half of the carbon emissions of lettuce, and almost a quarter less carbon emissions than cucumber.
• What are the main contributors to the carbon footprint of potatoes: The main contributors to the carbon footprint of potatoes are the resources used in the growing stage, including land, water and pesticide usage. As well as this, the plastic packaging used contributes significantly to the carbon footprint of potatoes. Around 70% of potatoes are produced in the US and processed goods like fries, chips, and tater tots are far more likely to have more packaging waste than fresh potatoes. 
• Which life-cycle stage of potatoes has the highest carbon footprint: The growing stage of potatoes contributes to over 60% of the overall carbon emissions created by the production of potatoes. However, comparatively to other crops, relatively few resources are needed to grow potatoes.

In short, potatoes have a small carbon footprint. In fact, potatoes rank within the top ten vegetables with the lowest carbon footprints. This is because they are a relatively easy crop to grow and use fewer resources than vegetables such as cucumbers or tomatoes.

What Is the Waste Generation of Potatoes

The waste generated by potatoes is substantial, as unfortunately potatoes are one of the most wasted foods, with 3 billion pounds of potatoes thrown away every year. This increases the carbon footprint. Any packaging used is bad for the environment, but lengthens the shelf-life, leading to less food waste. This can be offset by proper storing methods to increase shelf-life without the need of plastic packaging.

When vegetable waste, either packaging or organic materials, is disposed of, it can have a major impact on the environment. Whether it’s damaging wildlife, getting into oceans, emitting methane, or dissolving into microplastics that contaminate groundwater, all these materials have their part to play. In this section, we will look at how the waste from potatoes affects the environment.

How does the waste generation of potatoes impact their environmental footprint?

• What is the packaging of potatoes: Potatoes can either be transported loose in barrels, or crates, or packaged in hessian bags, poly-mesh, polyethylene bags, or kraft paper. These are generally quite eco-friendly materials, however poly-mesh, and polyethylene are plastics which negatively affect the environmental impact. Around 70% of potatoes sold in the US are processed, increasing the likelihood for plastic packaging.
• How is the packaging of potatoes disposed of: Plastic packaging can be difficult to recycle. However, many of the polyethylene bags used for packaging are recyclable, as long as the polyethylene is not bonded with other plastics. This is because polyethylene is generally only recycled to make like-for-like products. Still, it is much more sustainable to buy loose produce. A lot of plastic that we recycle ends up on the other side of the world, causing a threat to developing countries. So, it is not as good for the environment as we may imagine.
• How are potatoes disposed of: 49% of potatoes are discarded whole, meaning that there are over 359,000 tonnes of avoidable potato waste a year. Potatoes are completely compostable but often end up in landfill, which is a big problem for the environment. Potatoes can actually last for months, but consumers are often put off by premature sprouting, caused by improper storage. Keep potatoes in a paper or cardboard bag in a cool, dark pantry to increase their shelf-life and reduce the likelihood of waste. 

In short, the excess waste of this crop has a significant impact on the sustainability of potatoes. While whole potatoes can be purchased loose, many of the potato products we buy are sold in plastic packaging, which can be difficult to dispose of in a way that does not have a negative impact on the planet.

What Have Been Historical Environmental Issues Connected to the Potatoes Industry

The potato industry has historically been the source of both abundance and famine. In the 18th century, when potatoes began to be grown on a mass-scale across Europe, they contributed up to 40% of people’s diets, bringing many people out of abject hunger. However, potatoes are susceptible to blights, which was one of the factors that caused the Great Famine in Ireland, killing over one million people.

All vegetables have had a complex road toward global distribution. They originate in one part of the world and often travel far to end up in your local supermarket. From farm to table, some of our favorite vegetables have racked up some serious environmental damage along the way. Whether it’s deforestation to meet demand, water pollution, or disruption of wildlife, most vegetables have left a path of destruction. Let’s see how potatoes have fared throughout history. 

What have been the key environmental issues of the potato industry?

• How much land has been lost because of potato production: Potatoes were first cultivated over 8,000 years ago in the South American Andes, before spreading across Europe in the 1500s. The industry is now the world’s fourth most important crop, behind rice, wheat, and maize. In the industrialization of potatoes, it goes without saying that a great deal of land is used to grow this crop. However, potatoes use less land per kilogram of produce than most other foods, making them one of the more land-efficient crops despite their wide-scale production.
• Which wildlife species have been negatively impacted or displaced because of potato production: In the cultivation and harvest of any crop, many small animals like mice, rabbits, and insects will be displaced or killed by the harvesting equipment. However, potato plants are not known to have a negative impact on wildlife.
• Have water sources and soil been contaminated because of potato production: Potatoes have been known to contaminate water supplies with nitrate fertilizers, and the irrigation of potatoes with wastewater has led to an accumulation of heavy metals in the soil. The use of wastewater has been condemned but hopefully there will be a move toward irrigating crops with freshwater to reduce the nitrogen in the soil. 
• Other known historical issues: A lack of genetic variation in potatoes makes them susceptible to blight. The most famous example of this is the phytophthora infestans pathogen, which caused the poor potato harvests in Ireland from 1845-1852. This devastating famine killed over one million people and caused a further one million people to emigrate. A quarter of the Irish population either died or left the country because of the Great Famine.

In short, historically, the production of potatoes has caused some water and soil contamination issues due to nitrate fertilizers and wastewater irrigation. As well as this, a blight of this largely monocultural crop caused immense famine in 19th century Ireland, which had a devastating impact on Ireland’s culture and history, as well as its environment.

What Is the Overall Environmental Impact of Food and Agriculture

Food production in general has a significant impact on the environment. It is the cause of a great deal of pollution, loss of biodiversity, land and water use. The table below breaks down the overall environmental impact of the agriculture industry.

Agriculture alone accounts for over a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, while using half of the world’s habitable land and 70% of the global freshwater withdrawals. Agriculture also causes 78% of the global ocean and freshwater pollution. 

Livestock accounts for the vast majority of non-human mammal and bird biomass. Mammal livestock outweighs wild mammals by a factor of 15-to-1 and poultry livestock outweighs wild birds by a factor of more than 3-to-1.

These statistics highlight the need for sustainable and responsible practices in food production to reduce its impact on the environment. And the need for us to shift toward more environmentally-friendly foods.

How Can You Reduce Your Environmental Impact and Offset Your Personal Carbon Footprint

There are a few things you can do to mitigate some of the negative environmental effects of consuming potatoes, while still enjoying them. You can also consider offsetting your personal and potato-related carbon emissions, which work to remove carbon emissions elsewhere that are then attributed to you. Here, we will walk you through how to accomplish both of these things.

How Can You Reduce Your Environmental Impact When Shopping for Potatoes

In this section, we give you a short list of ways you can reduce the negative environmental effects of potatoes, based on those parts of the life-cycle of potatoes that would otherwise most negatively impact the environment:

1. Shop locally and seasonally: Potatoes are in prime season from June to October. Buying from local farms reduces the carbon emissions produced and makes it a much more sustainable choice. If you are near a local, small-scale farm, which harvests by hand, your purchase will be even better for the environment.
2. Choose organic: Organic potatoes produce a much lower carbon footprint than non-organic vegetables, due to the lack of pesticide production, distribution, and the overall higher health of soil for crops, insects, and animals.
3. Buy plastic-free: Avoid pre-processed and packaged potatoes, and instead opt for whole, loose produce. This will decrease the overall carbon footprint of your purchase substantially.

Following some of these methods can really help you to cut down on your environmental impact of eating potatoes. None of these will completely eradicate these negative impacts, since there are always effects that may be outside of your control. But some reduction is always better than nothing!

Which Organizations Can You Support to Help Alleviate Your Environmental Impact

While potatoes can cause a wide range of environmental damage, there are also some organizations that help you reduce parts of your impact that would otherwise be outside of your control. These organizations are working hard to prevent and reverse damage to the environment caused by industries like potato agriculture.

In the table below are some of the best environmental charities that work in the areas where potatoes production has affected the environment – and beyond:

Though it is helpful to reduce the environmental impact of your personal potato consumption, supporting these organizations takes your positive impact a step further. You will be reaching far beyond your own consumption impacts and helping to build a better world for everyone!

How Can You Offset Your Personal Carbon Footprint

The carbon footprint is a key part of your environmental impact. And it is one of the ways we measure the effects of our human-induced global climate change. Yes, even from eating potatoes!

“Carbon footprint: the amount of greenhouse gasses and specifically carbon dioxide emitted by something (such as a person’s activities or a product’s manufacture and transport) during a given period”

Merriam Webster

Basically, it is the amount of carbon emitted by you as an individual or an organization providing you with goods and services – including potatoes:

• This includes GHG emissions from producing the products that we use and foods that we eat (e.g., power plants, factories or farms, and landfills)
• GHG emissions from fuel that we burn directly or indirectly (e.g., logistics and transportation, cooling or heating facilities),
• The GHG emissions attributed to how we consume these products and foods.

Carbon offsets are reductions in carbon emissions that are used to compensate for carbon emissions occurring elsewhere – for example for the carbon emissions that are associated with potatoes. They are measured in tons of CO₂ equivalents and are bought and sold through international brokers, online retailers, and trading platforms on what is known as the global carbon offset market. 

“Carbon Offset: a way for a company or person to reduce the level of carbon dioxide for which they are responsible by paying money to a company that works to reduce the total amount produced in the world, for example by planting trees”

Oxford Dictionary

In terms of potatoes – and indeed all food types – there will always be a carbon footprint, because of the resources it takes to get your food from farms to the place where you’ll eventually eat them. And while there are ways to reduce your carbon footprint when shopping for potatoes, carbon offsets would be a way to reduce your CO₂e emissions all the way down to net zero (or even to become climate positive).

However, when you purchase carbon offsets, it’s important that they actually make a difference in offsetting (aka reducing) total carbon emissions. To achieve that, the following are key criteria:

• Carbon offset projects have to be effective (different projects have different effectiveness rates)
• Carbon offset projects have to be additional
• Carbon offset projects have to be permanent
• The claims from carbon offset projects have to be verifiable

To find the best carbon offsets for you personally, check out our full guide on the best carbon offsets for individuals, where you’ll also learn more about how these carbon offset projects work, what their respective offsetting costs are, and what your best way would be to offset your own carbon emissions.

Final Thoughts

Potatoes have a low environmental impact when compared with other vegetables and a very low carbon footprint when compared with other foods. However, you can try to reduce your carbon footprint even further by eating organic, reducing food and plastic waste, and purchasing local, seasonal produce. When you do enjoy potatoes, think about whether you can offset the carbon emissions created, to make this healthy snack a more sustainable option!

Stay impactful,

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