All across Belgium, patriotic citizens are stepping up to serve their country in the only way they know how. For the good of the economy, they’re committing to eating more frites.
The Belgian potato industry is looking pomme de terrible right now. Demand for frites is plummeting, in part because many of the moments when they’re usually eaten — after a festival, following a drunken night on the town — have become ancient history.
The country is facing 750k+ tons of leftover potatoes. But rather than throw up its hands, the Belgian government is urging citizens to consume frites twice a week — all in an effort to save the farmers and the spuds.
Ask not what your food waste can do for you…
Supply chain disruptions have made excess food a global scourge. More and more, your patriotic duty is going to involve shoveling down the national leftovers.
Trade groups in France are begging citizens to eat more fromage as international exports of the cheese collapse. The National Review last week urged us to “Eat More Potatoes, America.”
And New Zealanders are bingeing burgers at such a fast clip that local authorities are implementing crowd control measures at fast food restaurants.
To be clear, New Zealanders don’t have a burger surplus. They just really want burgers now that the lockdown there has been eased.
Welcome to the era of agro-patriotism
To fight the national food surpluses, growers have already started to unload their wares on food banks.
A string of Bay Area food banks were well-rewarded for their service: Cattle farmers this week sent them an infusion of $2m worth of premium Wagyu beef. But food banks can only store so much meat at a time.
Just as Americans on the homefront stopped eating bread for the good of soldiers during WWII, you might soon have to stuff yourself with chicken wings… you know, for your country.
