The humble potato will be centre of attention next week, when the second annual International Day of Potato is celebrated on 30 May.
The United Nations (UN) National Assembly created this day in recognition that potatoes are “much more than a source of nourishment” and to increase awareness of the potato’s “multiple nutritional, economic, environmental and cultural values”.
As one of the five main food crops of the world, the UN advises that potatoes play a key role in strategies aimed at providing accessible, nutritious food and enhancing livelihoods, particularly in rural and resource-constrained areas where arable land and water are scarce.
Millennia-old, potatoes have been enjoyed around the world since the sixteenth century, when it began its travels from the South American Andes region for its first stop in Europe.
Over the last ten years, potatoes have experienced an increase of ten per cent in global production to place it among the top five most widely consumed food crops in the world.
With its wide genetic variation, potatoes, considered a climate-friendly crop, have a strong resistance to pests and disease and are adaptable to different environments.
In 2021, Australians consumed almost sixty kilograms of potatoes per capita.
The versatile crop grows right across the continent, and in 2023 Australia produced 1,462,980 tonnes.
While Australians have been growing potatoes since colonisation, Australia only grows around thirty-five of the world’s five thousand varieties. There are thought to be around one hundred and fifty further wild varieties.
The UN believes potatoes play a significant role in ending world hunger and malnutrition and are using this day with the larger aim of implementing its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieving its Sustainable Development Goals.
World-wide, small-scale and family-based potato farming, especially by rural and women farmers, contributes significantly to reducing hunger, malnutrition, and poverty, while promoting food security.
In celebration of the day, Potatoes Australia are holding events including a photo competition.
