With wheat and rice prices on the rise, the potato is being recognized as a nutritious crop that could help feed a hungry world at a low cost. India aims to double potato production in the next five to 10 years, while China has become the leading potato grower. In Sub-Saharan Africa, potatoes are growing more than any other crop currently. Potatoes, originally from Peru, can thrive in a variety of climates and elevations, from the Andes Mountains to the flatlands of Asia. They need very little water, can reach maturity in just 50 days, and have the potential to produce between two and four times more food per hectare compared to wheat or rice. Pamela Anderson, director of the International Potato Center in Lima (CIP), a non-profit organization studying the potato family to enhance food security, stated that the threats to food supply are significant, possibly leading to a shortage of food worldwide. She, along with others, believes that the potato could be part of the solution. The potato has the ability to combat hunger caused by rising food prices, a growing population, increasing costs for fertilizer and fuel, and expanded cropland for biofuel production. To raise awareness about this, the United Nations declared 2008 as the International Year of the Potato, referring to it as a "hidden treasure." Governments are starting to promote the use of potato flour as an alternative to wheat flour due to the increase in wheat prices. In Peru, a program has been launched to encourage bakers to make bread with potato flour, which is being distributed to school children, prisoners, and the military. Despite claims that potato bread tastes as good as wheat bread, there is a shortage of mills to produce potato flour. Peru's agriculture minister believes that changing people's eating habits is necessary. People became dependent on wheat due to its affordability. Despite the potato originating in Peru, Europeans consume more potatoes than Peruvians. Belarusians consume the most potatoes globally, with each person consuming an average of 376 pounds a year. In Latvia, bread sales decreased due to price increases, leading consumers to buy more potatoes instead. In the developing world, the majority of new potato crops are being planted, providing poor farmers with the opportunity to increase their earnings as consumption of potatoes rises. Countries are recognizing the potato as a valuable option for improving food security and generating income. Despite being the world's third most important food crop, after wheat and rice, potatoes come in around 5,000 different varieties, offering a diverse and affordable range of colors. Despite the association of potatoes with the Idaho variety in America, they are widely grown and utilized in different forms. Peru is sending a large number of seeds to the Doomsday Vault in the Arctic Circle this year to contribute to a gene bank for food crops in case of a global disaster. Potatoes come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, offering chefs the opportunity to create visually appealing dishes. A 17-year-old potato farmer in Peru's Andes, Juan Carlos Mescco, attests to their great taste and enjoys eating them in various ways throughout the day. Potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates that provide sustained energy, and have significantly lower fat content compared to wheat. Boiled potatoes have more protein than corn and almost double the calcium, with one-fourth of the calories of bread, according to the Potato Center. The potato is rich in vitamin C, iron, potassium, and zinc. Unlike wheat, the potato is not a global commodity and has not attracted speculative professional investment. Wheat production is almost double that of potato output, with only about 5 percent of potatoes being traded internationally. Prices for potatoes are mainly driven by local tastes rather than international demand, helping to keep them affordable. Raw potatoes are difficult to transport due to their weight and tendency to rot, which has hindered global trade. They are also prone to diseases, making it challenging to export them without spreading plant infections. Consequently, farmers in some countries are not motivated to cultivate potatoes due to unattractive prices. In Peruvian markets, there is a call for government intervention to increase demand, as prices remain low. Juana Villavicencio, who spent 15 years planting potatoes and now sells them at a low price in a market in Cusco, Peru, believes that working with potatoes is not profitable. However, there are advancements in science, such as genetically modified potatoes being developed by BASF, that resist "late blight." This disease caused famine in Ireland in the 19th century and still results in 20 percent of potato harvest losses worldwide, according to the company. Scientists suggest that using clean, virus-free seeds can increase yields by 30 percent and make farmers eligible for export. This would lead to an increase in revenue for farmers and stimulate greater production since companies would be able to export specialty potatoes rather than only selling them as frozen french fries or potato chips.