One crop, much potential
A millennia-old food with origins in the South American Andes region that made its way to Europe in the 16th century then spread around the world, the potato is much more than a source of nourishment.
Potatoes are an important component of strategies to provide accessible and nutritious food and improved livelihoods in rural and other areas where natural resources, especially arable land and water are limited and inputs expensive.
The crop’s versatility and ability to grow in a variety of conditions make it an advantageous crop choice.
Potatoes are also a climate-friendly crop, as they produce low levels of greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to other crops.
In the past decade, the global production of potatoes has increased by 10 percent, leading to growth in employment and income, but more work still needs to be done to harness the full potential of the crop in the quest to end hunger and malnutrition globally.
In addition, there is a wide spectrum of diversity among potatoes, with over 5,000 improved varieties and farmers’ varieties/landraces, many of which are unique to their original location in Latin America.
The 150 wild relatives of the cultivated potato show a wide genetic variation with a range of traits, including the ability to adapt to different production environments, resistance to pests and diseases, and different tuber characteristics. They are a repository of the heritable traits for the continued genetic improvement of the crop to respond to ever changing environmental conditions, new biotypes of pests and diseases and consumers’ preferences.
