Potatoes Could Contribute to Global Food Security: FAO Chief

Dublin: Potatoes could contribute even more to world history and global food security and total production of the food crop could double in the next 10 years.
 
The statement was delivered by Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in his keynote presentation to the 11th World Potato Congress (WPC) convened in Dublin on Monday.
 
According to Qu, potatoes are the world’s third most important food crop and are regularly consumed by billions of people. 

Moreover, they also generate income for small-scale producers, offer a low-fat, high-fibre source of healthy carbohydrates rich in antioxidants and nutrients, and also generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions than other major crops.
 
Today potatoes, whose genetic origins are in South America, are cultivated on more than 20 million hectares in 150 countries for a total global output of 359 million tonnes in 2020. 
 
By focusing on improving yields and making full use of historic potato cultivation areas, worldwide production can be raised to 500 million tonnes in 2025 and 750 million tonnes in 2030.
 
"Potato will become one of the advantage crops in the global food security system when the yield of other cereal crops is close to the limit," Qu said in a media release on Monday.
 
During the meeting, the FAO Director-General called on multiple partners to help improve potato agrifood systems on the national, regional and global levels.
 
Noting the importance of providing decent rural employment, offering nutritious food and emphasizing the need for inclusive policies, plans and actions, he called for increasing support for potato genetic improvements and shorter breeding cycles for potato varieties, and the potential value of virus-free potato seed systems.
 
The International Potato Center gene bank in Lima has conserved more than 7,000 different native varieties and wild relatives, which have a wide range of traits, including the ability to adapt to different production environments and to resist various pests and diseases.
 
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