Announcing the theme of the first International Day of Potato
The potato, an important crop that is consumed by over one billion people around the world, will be celebrated on 30 May 2024, the first-ever International Day of Potato. The theme will be: ‘Harvesting diversity, feeding hope’. The theme underscores the fact that with over 5 000 improved varieties, and farmers’ varieties/landraces of the crop, there are ample choices for the needs of diverse production systems, culinary preferences and industrial applications, especially in these turbulent times, when many agrifood systems are in peril around the world.
A newly published ‘get involved guide’ has more on the theme and also features key messages. There are suggestions for government bodies, food business operators, NGOs, educators and parents who wish to organize events and activities to engage their local and regional communities.
“The Day goes beyond celebrating the many nutritional and livelihoods benefits of this important crop to recognize the past and current small-scale farmers, who as custodians of the thousands of native varieties of potato for several millennia, have bequeathed this enormous diversity to us,” said Chikelu Mba, Deputy Director of the FAO Plant Production and Protection Division.
“We invite everyone to get involved, share their experiences and help turn the spotlight on this unique crop,’’ he said.
The global campaign aims to raise public awareness about 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 development of sustainable value chains.
The International Day will also provide a platform to emphasize the contributions of potatoes in improving food security and nutrition and livelihoods, and examine the constraints to optimizing the benefits from the crop’s value chains, especially its potential to transform agrifood systems and, ultimately, contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Watch this space for more information about the celebration.
Download the Guide in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish and visit the website at: https://www.fao.org/international-potato-day
