International Potato Day 2024: Everyone loves potatoes. This year marks the first time that International Potato Day is celebrated. Chikuru Mba, Deputy Director of FAO’s Plant Production and Protection Division, said the purpose of International Potato Day is to honour the small-scale farmers of the past and present who, through careful care, have preserved the diversity of local potato varieties for thousands of years. The significance of this celebration extends beyond the many health and economic benefits of this important crop.
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Read this article to know the date, theme, history, significance and facts about potatoes of International Potato Day.
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International Potato Day 2024: date and theme
International Potato Day is celebrated around the world on 30 May each year. In 2024, the theme of the first International Potato Day is “Harvesting Diversity, Feeding Hope”, focusing on the contribution of the potato to the lives of producers and consumers.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, “The theme highlights the fact that there are currently more than 5,000 improved varieties and farmers’ varieties/landraces that can meet the needs of different production systems, culinary preferences and industrial applications, especially during these turbulent times when many agri-food systems around the world are at risk.”
World Potato Day 2024: History
According to the UN website, the UN General Assembly decided in December 2023 to designate May 30 as “International Potato Day” to raise awareness of the multiple nutritional, economic, environmental and cultural values of potatoes and their contribution as a valuable food resource and source of income for rural families and producers, and to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieve its Sustainable Development Goals.
International Potato Day: What it means
The global campaign aims to raise public awareness of the economic, social and environmental importance of the potato and its contribution to food security and nutrition, while advocating for the replication of best practices and the development of sustainable value chains.
The International Day will also provide a platform to highlight the contribution of the potato to improving food security, nutrition and livelihoods, and examine the constraints to optimizing the benefits of the crop’s value chain, in particular its potential to transform agri-food systems and ultimately contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Potato Day 2024: interesting facts
The potato originated in the Andes region of South America. It is one of the region’s most important food contributions to the world. Today, the potato is one of the top five staple crops worldwide and is essential to ensuring food security. The United Nations says, “The potato is an essential component of strategies to provide accessible and nutritious food and improve livelihoods in rural and other areas where natural resources (especially arable land and water) are limited and inputs are expensive.”
Some very interesting facts about potatoes are:
- About two-thirds of the world’s population relies on potatoes as their staple food, and nearly 50% of potatoes are used as household staple food or vegetables.
- Potatoes are drought-resistant, cold-resistant, and barren-resistant and have a wide adaptability.
- By 2030, total potato production will reach 750 million tons, an increase of 112%, of which Asia, Africa and Latin America will produce more than 440 million tons, an increase of 100%, accounting for about 59% of the world’s total.
- Potatoes are also a climate-friendly crop as they produce lower greenhouse gas emissions than other crops.
- The 150 wild relatives of cultivated potato show extensive genetic variation, with a variety of traits including the ability to adapt to different production environments, resistance to pests and diseases, and different tuber characteristics.
- They are a treasure trove of heritable traits for the ongoing genetic improvement of crops to respond to changing environmental conditions, new pest and disease biotypes, and consumer preferences.
The potato is a food with thousands of years of history, originating in the Andes region of South America, and was introduced to Europe in the 16th century, and has since spread around the world. Potatoes are more than just a source of nutrition. Global potato production has increased by 10% in the past decade, driving growth in jobs and incomes, but more needs to be done to fully realize the potential of this crop and end hunger and malnutrition worldwide.
Important days and dates in May 2024
Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
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