Potatoes are the most wild grown and eaten vegetable in the United States. The reason being for the popularity of potatoes is their versatility on the table and in the soil on the farm. When it comes to potatoes, there is a very wide variety of things that can be done to them; such as bake them, fry them, boil them, and just about anything else you can think of can be done to a potato. But, before the potato is covered in salt and cut up like a waffle in a basket in front of you, like most things, they have to be planted in the ground.
The first question that comes to mind when talking about potato farming is, is the process of potato farming sustainable? And the answer is yes! Potato farming is actually one of the most sustainable crops in the world. The reason being why potatoes are such a sustainable crop is because of the small amount of water they use. Potatoes are known to produce more food energy per cubic meter of water used than any other crop in the world, they also use less land than any other main crop in the world. But, the sustainability efforts don’t just happen during the growing season, and many potato farmers use the same technique to bring back a strong potato harvest year after year, the process begins with the care of the soil; farmers will use compost and other disposable products and grinding them into the soil in order to spread nutrients throughout the ground before the potatoes come in and grow. the Farmers do this year after year and it has shown no sign of stopping the powerful potato harvests.
The top five largest produces of potatoes are China, India, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States; and they produce a lot. approximately 203,597,431 metric tons are produce each year just by the top five producers. and luckily so, because potatoes are one of the crops along with rice, wheat, and corn that supplies half the worlds food supply energy. Potatoes also play a huge part in smaller developing countries and help them get more nutrients than say other crops. Now, each region has their own way and process to growing potatoes so I am going to focus on the largest producer, China. According to the USDA, “China’s production of fresh potatoes has been declining in recent years for different reasons, such as rising labor costs, limited mechanization, storage challenges, fluctuating potato prices, and the lack of new potato varieties”. Now, this could all take a change of direction if all of chinas takes up the practice of rice-potato rotation rather than just smaller communities. China does a very great job growing potatoes in a sustainable way, the rotation of potatoes and rice in the rice patty fields are a very sustainable process. According to potatopro.com, potato-rice rotations can have a lighter environmental footprint than most farming systems, improving soil health and input use efficiency. The process of potato-rice rotation is a long process but really quite easy to understand; the first step is the seasons, in China the rice is planted in February and April and harvested in June and July, while the winter crop of potatoes are grown and harvest in the colder months in China. The reason why the rotation of rice and potatoes in the rice patties in China Is so logical is because of the ecological impact. According to the International Potato Center, potatoes produce more calories on less land and less water while adding that to the rice, wheat, and maize could potentially reduce the total carbon and land and water impacts.
The photo above shows two farmers in China during potato harvest season as they are collecting what looks like an infinite supply of healthy potatoes.
Even National Geographic has come out and said that rice-potato rotation is the future of green revolution when it comes to sustainability and farming.
It is reported that the first potatoes date back to 8000 to 5000 B.C. when the Inca Indians in Peru first started cultivating potatoes, in 1536 the Spanish Conquistadors learned of the crop and the many meals that can be made out of potatoes and they decided to bring the crop back to Europe. The very first potatoes were very small and narrow and described as finger like, nowadays due to genetic modifications of all crops around the world, potatoes have become much larger and more “full” like the ones we known today. There is no telling where technology will bring our crops in the future and what affect it will have on both the earth and the human body.
We hope to many changes in the future when it comes to food sustainability and food growth but there is no telling where technology will bring us. Personally, I believe the rice-potato rotation process used in China is working really well and has proven that it is sustainable, I believe other countries who have the same weather and same atmosphere should look into the process. I do also believe that there are other sustainable ways to grow food and that we as a nation and as a human race need to come together in order to solve the current issues surrounding food sustainability and harmful farming practices. I look forward to the future of not only potato farming but also to see where other food growing practices will go. I hope that when we do find ways to make growing food as sustainable as possible but do hope we can remember our humble potato beginnings.
Cervantes, N. (2022, January 20). Potato Sustainability. Potatoes USA. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://potatogoodness.com/potato-sustainability/
China: New to Market Report – Chipping Potatoes. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. (2022, September 28). Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://apps.fas.usda.gov/
Cpad. (2022, January 21). Potatoes in rice paddies? International Potato Center. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://cipotato.org/blog/potatoes-in-rice-paddies/
Folger, T., & Cutler, P. by C. (n.d.). The next green revolution. National Geographic. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/green-revolution/