The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations welcomed the establishment of International Potato Day on Saturday, saying it would "heighten" public awareness of the critical role the crop plays in the fight against malnutrition, according to AFP on December 9.
On Friday, the United Nations adopted a resolution declaring 30 May as International Potato Day, a "celebration" that FAO believes will "highlight the importance of potatoes to world agriculture, economic development, food security and nutrition".
FAO noted that the annual celebration was initiated by Peru, which "submitted a proposal for adoption by the UN General Assembly in accordance with a resolution of the FAO Conference on 7 July 2023".
FAO recalled that the United Nations had declared 2008 the International Year of the Potato.
In addition to fighting hunger, International Potato Day will "promote agricultural development, food security, biodiversity conservation and ecosystem functioning," Peru's permanent representative to the United Nations, Victor Gracia Toma, said at the UN General Assembly.
Peru is one of the birthplaces of this tuber crop, with thousands of varieties and an international potato center.
Originating in the Andes region of South America, introduced to Europe in the 16th century and subsequently spreading around the world, the millennium-old food could "improve livelihoods in rural and other areas where natural resources, especially arable land and water, are limited and input costs are high," FAO stresses.
In addition, potatoes "are also a climate-friendly crop because they produce lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to other crops," the agency noted.
However, potato production "faces a number of threats and challenges, especially pests and diseases", such as downy mildew, several bacterial diseases or the Colorado potato beetle. FAO plans to "help member countries build environmentally resilient and resilient potato value chains". (Compiled by Zhao Kexin).