Plummeting potato prices have prompted a “national potato week” to get rid of the surplus in a sustainable way – by encouraging people to eat more of them.

An abundant harvest has left farmers with an estimated 500 million potatoes, which are currently in storage awaiting consumption or destruction. The initiative to promote the potato was started by Thibaud van der Steen of food waste awareness organisation No Waste Army, and will start next Friday.

The potato week will make a small dent in the surplus, Van der Steen said. “Over 3,000 supermarkets have said they will participate, including Jumbo and Albert Heijn. People can also contact farmers via our site and pick them up directly. It’s making farmers very happy to see people coming to their door to lend a hand.”

Jumbo will be selling two bags of three kilos for €3, a spokesman said. “It’s a good moment to emphasise that potatoes are healthy and nutritious.”

To eat the whole potato mountain would mean every person in the Netherlands would have to consume 25 kilos, which is not going to happen,” Van der Steen said. “But the campaign will help, and make people aware that they need to move more with what nature is giving them,” he said.

The national potato week takes place from April 17 to April 26.