2008 - Year of the Potato

Until I stumbled across it, I didn't know that 2008 was the UN's year of the potato. It raises awareness on just how much we depend and grow this unique tuber on a global scale. Giving statistics on growth, it shows that Europe and Asia produce a staggering amount of potatoes on a yearly basis!

The site gives detailed information on the potato plant and how it grows, nutritional facts, biodiversity, economy and pricing. All in all, a very clever way to get information about the potato out there to the world. The site is in several different languages to help break down the barriers. No doubt that their attempt to educate is really making a difference. I applaud the UN for their efforts.

The thing I find most interesting:

" Diversity conserved in trust

The International Potato Centre in Peru maintains the world’s largest bank of
potato germplasm, including some 1 500 samples of about 100 wild species
collected in eight Latin American countries, and 3 800 traditional Andean
cultivated potatoes. The collection is maintained and managed under the
terms of an agreement with the Governing Body of the International Treaty
on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and, like all collections
eligible for funding from the Global Crop Diversity Trust, is available to plant
breeders worldwide upon request."

Incidentally, 2009 is International Year of Astronomy.