TL;DR
A Saxony farm is handing over 4,000 tonnes of potatoes after a market glut left the crop unsold. Ecosia is funding transport to Berlin while the Berliner Morgenpost is coordinating free distribution; registrations for pickups have closed.
What happened
A farm in Saxony ended up with 4,000 tonnes of harvested potatoes after a trader’s order met a market with more supply than demand and falling prices. Although the financial transactions were settled, the tubers remained in storage. The potatoes are kept in cool, dry halls on a farm south of Leipzig. The first truckload has begun moving toward Berlin for free distribution. Ecosia is covering the cost of transport from Saxony to the capital and the Berliner Morgenpost is helping to organise how the potatoes will be handed out. Organisers opened a registration process for people to collect potatoes; that registration window is now closed. Applicants who registered will receive emails indicating whether they were accepted and, if so, providing collection details such as date and approximate time. The Berliner Morgenpost is also seeking additional distribution locations and financial donations to fund further truckloads via the project website.
Why it matters
- Highlights how market imbalances can leave edible food unsold and at risk of waste.
- Demonstrates a cross-sector response—media and private funding—to redirect surplus food to people.
- Offers a short-term model for rescuing large volumes of produce that might otherwise be discarded.
- Signals public interest and logistical challenges in distributing bulk food donations in an urban area.
Key facts
- Quantity involved: 4,000 tonnes of potatoes (about four million kilograms).
- Origin: a farm in Saxony; the crop was stored in cool, dry halls south of Leipzig.
- Cause: a trader ordered the harvest but market supply exceeded demand and prices fell; the potatoes were left behind despite financial settlement.
- Transport funding: Ecosia is financing transport from Saxony to Berlin.
- Organisation: the Berliner Morgenpost is coordinating the free distribution.
- Registration: applications to collect potatoes have closed; registrants will be notified by email about acceptance and collection details.
- Comparisons provided by organisers: the amount equals the weight of roughly 800 adult elephants and could feed hundreds of thousands of people.
- Support sought: the Berliner Morgenpost is looking for more distribution sites and accepting donations for further truckloads via www.4000-tonnen.de.
- Logistics: the first truckful has already been dispatched to Berlin for distribution.
What to watch next
- Whether additional distribution locations are secured and how many more truckloads can be funded.
- How many registrants are accepted and the scale of people served during the distribution days.
- not confirmed in the source: whether organisers will develop longer-term measures to prevent similar surpluses in future harvests.
Quick glossary
- Surplus crop: A harvested quantity of agricultural produce that exceeds immediate market demand.
- Market price: The current selling price of a commodity determined by supply and demand in the market.
- Cool, dry storage: Facility conditions used to store produce to slow spoilage by controlling temperature and humidity.
- Distribution: The process of delivering goods from a source to end recipients or points of sale.
- Ecosia: An organisation that funds projects or services; here reported as financing transport for the potato distribution.
Reader FAQ
How many potatoes are being given away?
4,000 tonnes of potatoes.
Where did the potatoes come from?
A farm in Saxony; the potatoes were stored in cool, dry halls south of Leipzig.
Who is organising and paying for the transport and distribution?
Ecosia is financing transport and the Berliner Morgenpost is organising the free distribution.
Can I still register to collect potatoes?
Registration to collect has closed; those who applied will be notified by email about acceptance and collection details.
Will there be more distributions or truckloads later?
not confirmed in the source
News4,000 tons of potatoes to be given away for free 13.01.2026 – 14:13 Uhr Tuesday, January 13 4,000 tons of potatoes to be given away for free Berliner Morgenpost and…
Sources
- 4k tons of potatoes to be given away for free in Berlin
- Free potatoes for the grabs in Berlin on Jan 15/16. Rescue …
- CasinoValue Reports No Free Distribution of Tonne …
- Residents of Berlin Will Receive a Ton of Potatoes for Free
Related posts
- New UK tool flags pubs most at risk amid planned business rates revaluation
- The Unbearable Frustration of Figuring Out APIs — Swift async and Translation
- NPR checked 114 Walmart items: How prices changed over the past year