FAO’s new exhibition explores the remarkable journey of potato

In the lead-up to the International Day of Potato on 30 May, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has unveiled an exhibition, The Journey of the Potato, a memorable exploration of one of the world’s most important and widely consumed food crops.

The exhibition, produced in partnership with the Permanent Representation of Peru to the International Organizations in Rome and the International Potato Center (CIP), is set to run from 26 - 30 May at the FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. It takes visitors on a global journey spanning 8 000 years, tracing the potato’s roots to its birthplace near Lake Titicaca in the Andes Mountains, where early farmers first domesticated wild tubers. 

From these high-altitude origins, the potato has evolved along with global agrifood systems, supporting the nutrition and livelihoods of billions and playing an important role in food security, climate resilience, and sustainable cropping systems.

"Two-thirds of the world population call potatoes their staple food and for billions, it's more than a side dish, it's a lifeline," says Yurdi Yasmi, Director of FAO Plant Production and Protection Division. "With the upcoming International Day of Potato, join us in raising awareness, supporting innovation, and conserving this vital crop for generations to come," he urges in a video message.

The exhibition includes:

• A rustic wooden stall decorated with a vibrant Andean textile displays crates and a sack of diverse potato varieties, highlighting traditional farming and crop diversity.
• A chronological timeline illustrating the spread of the potato across continents and featuring key historical events like the Columbian Exchange and the Irish Potato Famine, alongside innovations such as disease-resistant varieties, potato use in space, and starch-based bioplastics.
• A Potato in Art salon that presents a curated wall of framed works, from classical to contemporary, illustrating the potato’s role as subject and symbol in global visual culture.
• A selection of historical publications from the FAO David Lubin Memorial Library showcasing the evolution of potato research and policy from 1784 to 1990. 
• A display of specialized potato machinery - including a planter, digger, and ridger as a highlight of the tools that drive modern cultivation.

Together with CIP, FAO continues to support innovation in potato cultivation by improving smallholder farmers' access to improved varieties and thereby reducing hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

FAO invites visitors and partners to join the conversation online using the hashtag #InternationalDayOfPotato, reinforcing how this diverse and important crop can help build a more secure and sustainable food future.