Potato is the second bread and the third most available food crop in the world

As part of the International Day of Potato observance on 30 May, which was celebrated under the theme of Shaping history, feeding the future this year, FAO Liaison Office with the Russian Federation together with the Russian Potato Research Centre held a scientific and practical conference where various aspects of potato production in the Russian Federation and the world were discussed.

Oleg Kobiakov, Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Liaison Office with the Russian Federation, noted that FAO “plays host” to this International Day, and potato is one of the key products for global agrifood systems, a beacon of food security and the foundation of sustainable agriculture development in many areas and countries around the world.

“To celebrate the International Day of Potato, the FAO Moscow Office has been holding a scientific and practical conference for the second year in a row, in order to bring into focus its contribution to food security of the Russian Federation, nutrition and livelihoods, especially for small farmers.”

The FAO representative said that widespread cultivation and consumption of this crop facilitates the achievement of key SDG objectives, such as zero hunger, sustainable agriculture development and advancing economic opportunities. Two-thirds of the global population consume potato as a staple food, and it is the third most available food crop in the world. In addition, he emphasized that potato is climate-friendly, since its cultivation produces lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to other crops, making it possible to feed the world in a more sustainable manner.

Sergey Mitin, First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Agrifood Policy, addressed the participants with a video message, “Today, potato is one of the strategically important agricultural crops in Russia. Russia is one of the leaders in potato production: it ranks sixth in the world in terms of cultivated area and seventh in terms of gross yield, which amounted to about 18 million tonnes in 2024.”

The senator notes that Russian scientists have recently produced new varieties of potatoes, including table varieties for early production, varieties for long-term storage, and varieties for special dietary use. There have been improvements in the domestic selective breeding of potato, since most varieties are characterized by increased yield, marketability of tubers and resistance to pests.

“In recent years, as part of the successful implementation of comprehensive programmes and scientific studies of the work of Russian agricultural workers, 19 scientific institutions and 12 agricultural enterprises have created new potato varieties approved for use in the agroclimatic conditions of various regions of the Russian Federation,” he said.

He highlighted the importance of developing the Russian potato industry and spoke about support measures for agricultural workers, since the share of foreign selective breeding in the total volume of seed potato remains unacceptably high and, according to various estimates, amounts to over 80%.

Petr Chekmarev, RAS academician, Deputy President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, sent a welcoming address, congratulating the participants on behalf of the RAS and its Department of Agricultural Sciences.

“Potato is considered one of the essential food crops in Russia. The special attention paid to potato in the Food Security Doctrine of the Russian Federation and the Federal Scientific and Technical Programme for the Development of Agriculture for 2017–2030 confirms its importance as a significant factor in meeting the needs of the population for high-quality and safe food products,” the scientist noted.

Academician Chekmarev emphasized that “the solution to existing problems and further development of potato production in Russia lies in partnership dialogue and multilateral cooperation of state, scientific and public institutions. Exchanging experiences and best practices, scientific knowledge and business contacts will undoubtedly contribute to the sustainable development of the potato industry in Russia.”

Researchers from various institutes discussed current advances in potato production, focusing on modern scientific approaches ranging from genetic research to innovative cultivation technologies. They paid particular attention to increasing yields and product quality through large-scale research and putting its results into practice.

It was noted that the domestic potato chain – from varieties to niche ultraprocessed products – had already moved from a policy of import substitution to competitive expansion into the markets of the EAEU, BRICS and the CIS.

The participants emphasized that for the further development of the industry, genomic and marker-assisted selection techniques for accelerated variety breeding, end-to-end digitalization of seed plots, waste-free processing as insurance against price volatility, active soil improvement in risky agriculture areas, and multidisciplinary phytopathogen management are of critical importance.

Irina Lavrentyeva, Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and Director of the Directorate of the Federal Scientific and Technical Programme (FSTP) for the Development of Agriculture for 2017–2030, noted that the FSTP establishes its priorities by 2030: the Food Security Doctrine sets the goal to ensure 75% of domestically bred seeds. According to the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation, the target indicators for potato are 10.5% for 2025, and in 2030, they have to reach 35%.

However, Irina Lavrentyeva noted, “it by no means implies that these indicators should not be exceeded. We should strive for 50% and then 70% of domestic selection, so that the share of domestic selection in the total volume ultimately reaches 75%.”

The FSTP implements 15 subprogrammes, and the subprogramme for the development of potato selective breeding and seed production became one of the first ones in 2017–2018. Establishing relations between scientific organizations and representatives of business communities will increase the competitiveness of Russian varieties and hybrids of agricultural crops, Irina Lavrentyeva concluded.

Sergey Zhevora, RAS corresponding member, Director of the Russian Potato Research Centre, spoke about the activities and scientific research of this industry-specific scientific institution of Russia on potato and said that they “bred 58 new varieties in 8 years, and now the task is to introduce them to every farm”.

The importance of resource collections in scientific institutes, which provide high-quality seed material to domestic agricultural enterprises and enterprises in near-abroad countries, promoting independence from external supplies, was noted.

Alexey Krasilnikov, Executive Director, Association of potato and vegetable market participants (Potato Association), spoke about the dynamics of potato production development in Russia and the state measures to support the industry. Moreover, he talked about the main indicators of financial and economic activity in the industrial production of potatoes and vegetables, while also assessing the dynamics of wholesale prices for Russian-produced potatoes.

Dmitry Govorov, Deputy Director of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Russian Agricultural Center” (Rosselhoztsenter), presented detailed data on the quality and variety composition of potatoes – 735.2 thousand tonnes of potatoes were planted across Russia in 2024 – and on the share of leading varieties in seed potato planting over the past decade.  He spoke about putting potato seed plots on an electronic map in the AgroExpert programme in 2024: over the last three years, all seed crops have been monitored with georeferencing. Last year, the number of geopoints was 5193, and potato seed planting amounted to 80.5 thousand hectares.

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The event brought together the representatives of authorities, international organizations, academia and research centres, as well as private companies and farmers.

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Potato is an important element of strategies to provide affordable and nutritious food and improve the living conditions of people in rural areas and other areas where natural resources, especially arable land and water, are limited, and inputs are expensive. From this perspective, the choice of this crop is advantageous due to its versatility and ability to grow in different conditions.

Potatoes have a wide range of varieties, over five thousand. Potato is not only a staple in the diets of a large share of the global population, ensuring food security, but it also creates opportunities for employment (for people in rural and urban areas worldwide) and sustainable economic growth along value chains.

The International Day of Potato observance underscores the importance of the crop as a tool for combating hunger and poverty and addressing environmental hazards threatening agrifood systems.

The International Day will also become an opportunity to celebrate the important role of family farmers, a significant proportion of whom are women, in safeguarding the diversity of potato, and draw attention to the cultural and culinary aspects of the crop’s cultivation and consumption.