The United Nations has hailed the potato as a potential solution to solving the looming global food shortage.

With wheat and rice supplies declining, the UN is encouraging low-income countries to grow more potatoes to cover the food shortfall.

It's also declared 2008 as the International Year of the Potato to try and raise awareness of how important the humble spud is to agriculture and the economy.

UN representative Abdullah Saleh Mbamba says more agricultural investment is needed:

"There are parts of the world today where farmers are still engaged in a traditional form of agriculture, so there is a need for governments to take action to ensure that land is properly used and that farmers are getting the privileges and the priorities to promote food production".

Source: ABC Rural News (Australia)