Anders Andersson, a farmer at Hörtegården in Skåne, commented: "There are nice varieties that do not need as much pesticides, absolutely, but they have a number of drawbacks and I do not think that trade and consumers are prepared for it." He highlighted consumer expectations: "Consumers only buy the nice ones. Fifteen to twenty percent of potatoes are discarded due to appearance and become biogas and animal feed."
Resistant blight fungus remains a significant challenge for potato producers. Andersson explained: "Blight fungus is so cunning, so it has come around many substances and become resistant." He noted that alternatives to PFAS are limited: "It's a choice between plague or cholera."
Some conventional growers in Sweden have reported they are adapting without PFAS agents, but uncertainty is widespread. Charlott Gissén, environmental coordinator at the Swedish Board of Agriculture, stated: "We are all sitting on needles" while awaiting the national strategy. She pointed out that organic farming has shown potatoes can be produced without PFAS, though yield impacts are uncertain. According to her, variety selection, crop rotation, and cultivation techniques will be crucial in the transition.
PFAS-based products are widely applied in conventional farming to combat potato blight, weeds, and insects. Concerns about PFAS have increased in Europe after German authorities raised issues regarding TFA’s potential effects on reproductive health. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is preparing guidance for next year to establish acceptable intake levels.
Investigations have been ongoing in Sweden throughout the spring. Mats Allmyr from the Chemicals Inspectorate said: "That's the problem, that TFA has emerged as a potentially toxic metabolite that was not previously noticed." He added: "It concerns many products and it can have major consequences for Swedish agriculture if you address all at once." He noted that the authority must prepare a plan for reviewing and re-examining the products.
Fredrik Andersson, a potato grower and board member of LRF, expressed concern about the economic impact of restrictions. He stated: "It must be handled so that we do not knock out domestic production and get imports instead, because then it will only get worse."
PFAS chemicals, sometimes described as “eternal chemicals,” are also used in other sectors such as refrigerants, firefighting foam, packaging, and agriculture. The EU’s ongoing re-evaluation and the upcoming EFSA guidance will be decisive in shaping how European agriculture addresses this issue.
