The United Nations will mark the inaugural International Potato Day on Thursday, commemorating a ‘vital staple’ in global diets.
Officially established after three years of effort, this symbolic day was initiated in 2021 by Peru – the tuber’s historical origin. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), Ireland, and Belgium soon backed the initiative.
Observers celebrated the run-up to the International Day of Potato in Brussels on Monday. The event included Belgian Agriculture Minister David Clarinval (MR) and his Irish counterpart, Charlie McConalogue, an FAO representative, as well as the Peruvian ambassador to Belgium.
“Peru is proud of its culinary contributions,” said Ambassador Luis Enrique Chávez Basagoitia. Noting the day honours friendship between nations, he highlighted the potato’s central role in warding off famine, particularly in Europe.
The tuber, brought from the Andean region to Europe in the 16th century, has since become a staple for around two-thirds of the global population, the UN states. This is due to the potato’s adaptability, high yield and nutritional benefits.
"In Peru, it is an ancestral crop," reiterated the ambassador. There are approximately 5000 potato varieties, the FAO states, but only a few are known in Belgium.
In Belgium, this "vital staple", as Clarinval puts it, is central to the local culinary culture and economy. Belgium is the world’s leading exporter of frozen fries, primarily via McCain, who purchased Lutosa’s factories years ago. More than 7,500 people are employed in the potato sector, says the Agriculture Minister’s office.
Raschad Al-Khafaji, director of the FAO liaison office in Brussels, urges consumers to appreciate the importance of potatoes, citing their contribution to food security and cultural identity. He warns, however, that global food security is not yet guaranteed.
FAO sees the potato as a solution to fight hunger, poverty and environmental risks. It is the third most consumed staple crop worldwide, after rice and wheat. However, its potential remains untapped.
From 2000-2020, the land area dedicated to potato farming dropped by 17%, while production increased by 11%. The FAO stresses the necessity of maintaining the genetic diversity of cultivated potato varieties and farming systems, asserting it is the genetic wealth of the tuber that gives it resilience and adaptability.
