06/11/2026
A video claiming Frito-Lay refuses to buy potatoes from land that ever hosted solar panels was viewed over a million times.
The claim started with a Michigan agricultural trade group raising concerns about plastic and metal fragments left in soil after solar removal. Environmental engineers and plant ecologists consulted on the story said they knew of no evidence this actually happens. One of the claim's own supporters admitted at a Michigan legislative hearing that the food safety issue "hasn't been seen yet."
The real research tells a different story. A four-year Italian study found that growing potatoes alongside solar panels can actually be beneficial — the shade helps retain moisture and the panels don't interfere with what's happening underground.
Farmers leasing land to solar developers can earn tens of thousands of dollars, stable income in an unpredictable market. Misinformation that makes that lease feel like a future liability is directly hurting the people it claims to protect.