Paris (AFP)

The coronavirus epidemic is not over, but there is already the question of the outlets for thousands of tonnes of surplus potatoes or milk not sold in Europe during the two months of confinement, against a background of social shock and the threat of a food crisis in some southern countries.

With all the restaurants and canteens at a standstill, the raw materials intended for these sectors are far from having all been redirected to mass distribution, despite the surge in food shopping by individuals confined to their homes.

One of the most emblematic cases is that of potatoes: 450,000 tonnes of surplus in France, the world's leading exporter of tubers and supplier of industrial fry giants like the Canadian group McCain, whose factories are based in northern France, the Netherlands and Belgium.

With the Covid-19 crisis, there are "between 3 and 4 million tonnes of unprocessed potatoes in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and France" estimates the Interprofessional Potato Group (GIPT) ).

Most of the fast food restaurants in Europe closed, the frozen chip factories were shut down for two months. Never seen. And the producers' warehouses - which were remunerated for part of the contracted potatoes - are packed.

- "Lots of people are hungry" -

The potato mountains must be cleared before the next harvest. Otherwise, "the risk is to see the development of wild deposits (...) in nature, vectors of infectious foci of fungal diseases or pollution by fermentation", explains to AFP Bertrand Ouillon, delegate of GIPT.

Many users of social networks have asked that this basic food be redirected to food aid, at a time when a social crisis develops after the cessation of economic activity.

"Damn it, but lots of people are hungry! Make a call, people will come looking for it, even at 0.5 euros", estimates on Twitter @mishkawolinski, while @lvckdjr in Toulouse warns against "certain associations" who refuse donations of "not filleted" potatoes.

"In fact, we have sent a few stocks to associations, but our problem cannot be resolved in this way, it is on an industrial scale", underlines Mr. Ouillon.

The industry would like to be able to redirect its stocks towards the production of animal feed. "If there could be public aid for transport, it could in fact be indirect aid for farmers who are today in difficulty," he suggests.

- "The European dairy crisis threatens West Africa" ​​-

It is not always easy to redirect flows to alternative distribution channels without destabilizing other sectors. This is shown by another example, that of milk.

Last week, Oxfam and a dozen peasant or solidarity associations (GRET, Peasant Confederation, Engineers Without Borders, CCFD Terre Solidaire ..) alerted to the risks of "serious crisis" hanging over the dairy market in Africa. 'Where is.

The reason is the storage of milk powders decided by the European Commission to relieve European dairy farmers who no longer know what to do with their milk, butter or cheese.

"The way out of the crisis must not be done, as in the past, by the export of surpluses to African markets", warn the associations in a joint press release entitled "Covid-19: the European dairy crisis threatens Africa the West ".

Already between 2018 and 2019, EU milk powder exports to West Africa had increased by 19%, and they now represent 20% of world exports from the European Union, according to the associations. While West African dairy producers are desperately trying to develop their local production in order to support agriculture, reduce emigration and fight against violence.

An early solution, however, seems to emerge for the thousands of hectoliters of surplus wine in the three leading world producing countries of Italy, France and Spain: the wine-growers have requested and obtained authorization from Brussels to distill part of it ... to make hydroalcoholic gel.

© 2020 AFP