Potato in the Netherlands – a remarkable story

Abstract

The Netherlands is leading in the global market of seed potatoes. Annually, close to 800,000 tons are exported to a wide range of countries inside and out of the European Union. This success has roots in history. In this chapter, I analyse how this position was obtained and provide some scenarios for the future given the current developments in policies and technologies. I conclude that the leading role in both potato breeding and international trade in seed potatoes is rooted in a history of a combination of science, entrepreneurship and explicit policies and institutional arrangements that have evolved over the past century. Just like agriculture itself, also the breeding practice and seed markets are changing at an increasing pace. After a brief review of relevant developments, I conclude that the Netherlands could maintain, or even expand its leading role, but when business models change, the outcomes are likely to be significantly different for the various operators in the potato seed chains.