The “Potato Revolution”: Greeks Start Buying Potatoes Straight From Farmers

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As incomes fall and retail prices rise, Greeks have found an ingenious way to pay three times less than they usually would for potatoes.

The craze, which some are already starting to call the “Potato Revolution,” began in the northern town of Katerini two weeks ago. A group of local activists set up a website to allow people to order potatoes directly from local farmers, and then pick them up in a parking lot on the weekends. Their project was an instant hit. In the past two weeks, they’ve already sold 100 tons of potatoes, and inspired agricultural students in Thessaloniki to launch a similar program. Dozens more cities across Greece are planning to follow suit.

Since the farmers sell the potatoes for a higher price than they would be able to sell them to distributors – but for less than what supermarkets charge customers – both the farmers and their customers win.



Every little bit helps for crisis-hit Greeks. Austerity measures have led to pensions and salaries being repeatedly slashed, as well as to a steep rise in unemployment – one in five Greeks are now jobless. On top of this, the government has raised taxes in a bid to curb its debt.

“We thought, why not cut out the middleman?”

Elias Tsolakidis is a member of the Pieria Volunteer Action Team, a group of volunteers who launched the potato project in Katerini.