by Effie Moore Salem

Created on: September 16, 2008

The United Nations has dedicated 2008 the year of the potato. They did this to proclaim to the world that this lowly little tuber is an answer to much of the world's hunger. It is easy to grow and makes few demands on the grower; it is ready to eat earlier than wheat, rice and corn.

Preventing impending world hunger is why the potato is being so honored. In Peru, the home of the potato and the home of CIP (International Potato Center in Lima, there is plenty of information to support the claim that indeed this lowly little vegetable has much to offer a hungry world. Assigning it this honor will focus attention on it as a solution to averting mass starvations.

Wheat prices are higher and this was another reason to concentrate effort on the potato. Now bakeries and homemakers are being encouraged to make bread from potatoes. What this amounts to, say representatives is a change of lifestyle for many. Wheat bread has become a habit and now that prices of it are higher than usual, why not considers a less expensive alternative.

Who in the world are listening? India, China, some parts of Africa, especially the Sub-Saharan regions, and Belarus are tuned in. Belarus eats more potatoes now than any other country; India intends to double the amount they grow and Sub-Sahara Africa is probably considering the potato because their soil is lacking and potatoes will adapt well and will need fewer nutrients. India is expecting to grow twice the amount of potatoes in the next ten years.

Latvia, likewise, is switching to potatoes. This is evident that this is a fact and necessarily a statistic that looks good on reports since they sold 10-15 percent less bread in the first two months of this year. Instead, they bought 20 percent more potatoes.

What about the potato, this food staple that its home country Peru is fondly promoting? It needs no huge amount of advertising or sampling; the world already knows of its value. It, without any further ado, is the third most eaten food on the list; following after wheat and rice. yet,its promoters are not satisfied with that, they want it to be number one.

Whether this will ever happen will be anyone's guess but simply being applauded and given a whole year of recognition by the UN surely must help its cause. The next logical question in this lineup is: where is corn? It is grown mostly for animal feed and was the list to be the most grown food wheat, rice, corn and potatoes, surely corn would be heading the list.

With all that potato has going

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