Potatoes can contribute even more to global food security, and total production could double over the next 10 years. This was stated by Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), during the opening of the eleventh world potato congress in Dublin.
The FAO Director-General said that Asia and Africa are currently the regions with the fastest growth in potato production, while production is declining in Europe and North America. Worldwide, potato production has increased, even as the area used for cultivation has decreased.
Potatoes are currently the third most important food crop in the world and are regularly consumed by billions of people. They also generate income for small-scale producers, and produce less greenhouse gas emissions than other major crops, Qu said.
He is a highly praised expert in the field of food. Earlier in his career, he helped organize the world potato congress in 2015 in China.
Today, according to the FAO chief, potatoes are cultivated on more than 20 million hectares in 150 countries, with a total global production of 359 million tons. Production could be increased to 500 million tons by 2025 and 750 million tons by 2030, said the Director-General.
“Potato will become one of the growing crops in the global food security system at a time when the yield of other cereal crops approaches its limit,” Qu said. He emphasized that the relatively low requirement for natural resources makes potatoes an important food crop for people to survive during famine and disasters.
Part of the world potato congress was a debate on the war situation in Ukraine. That country is not only one of the largest grain producers in the world, but also the fourth-largest potato producer.