As prices for wheat and rice increase, the potato, once considered boring and fattening, is now being recognized as a valuable and nutritious crop that could help alleviate hunger worldwide. Potatoes, originally from Peru, can be grown in various climates and elevations with minimal water requirements and a quick maturation period. They have the potential to produce more food per hectare compared to wheat or rice. Pamela Anderson, director of the International Potato Center, believes that the potato could play a crucial role in ensuring food security amidst potential food supply shortages. The potato is being recognized for its potential in alleviating hunger caused by various factors such as increasing food prices, a growing population, rising costs for fertilizer and diesel, and more land being used for biofuel production. The United Nations designated 2008 as the International Year of the Potato to bring attention to this, calling the vegetable a valuable resource. Governments, such as Peru's, are also promoting the use of potatoes as a solution to rising wheat prices by encouraging bakers to make bread with potato flour. This potato bread is being distributed to various groups in the hopes of starting a trend. Supporters claim that potato bread tastes just as good as wheat bread, but there are not enough mills producing potato flour. Ismael Benavides, Peru's agriculture minister, believes that people's eating habits need to change because they became addicted to wheat when it was inexpensive. Despite the potato originating in Peru near Lake Titicaca 8,000 years ago, Peruvians consume fewer potatoes compared to Europeans. Belarus is the top consumer of potatoes, with each person in the country eating an average of 376 pounds (171 kg) per year. India has expressed its desire to double potato production within the next five to 10 years to food experts. China, a country with a long history of devastating famines due to its heavy reliance on rice, has now emerged as the leading producer of potatoes in the world. In Sub-Saharan Africa, potatoes are experiencing significant growth compared to other crops. In Latvia, rising bread prices have led to a decline in sales, with consumers opting to purchase more potatoes instead. The majority of new potato crops are being planted in developing countries, offering opportunities for poor farmers to increase their income as potato consumption continues to rise. Anderson stated that countries are considering the potato as a beneficial choice for ensuring food security and generating income. The potato is currently ranked as the third most significant food crop globally, following wheat and rice. Despite the common association of potatoes with the plain Idaho variety in the United States, there are approximately 5,000 different types available. This year, Peru is sending numerous seeds to the Doomsday Vault located near the Arctic Circle, which serves as a gene bank for food crops in case of a worldwide catastrophe. Potatoes come in a variety of colors, shapes, textures, and sizes, giving creative chefs the opportunity to create visually appealing dishes. According to Juan Carlos Mescco, a 17-year-old potato farmer from Peru, potatoes taste great and he enjoys eating them in various forms throughout the day. Potatoes are a good source of complex carbohydrates, releasing energy slowly and containing only five percent of the fat found in wheat. They have fewer calories than bread, more protein than corn, and nearly twice the calcium when boiled. In addition, potatoes are rich in vitamin C, iron, potassium, and zinc. Speculators are not interested in potatoes because they are not a global commodity like wheat. Wheat production is almost double that of potatoes, and only about 5 percent of potatoes are traded internationally. Local tastes, not international demand, drive potato prices. The slow global trade of raw potatoes is also due to their weight and tendency to rot during transit. They are also vulnerable to being infected by pathogens, which hinders their export in order to prevent the spread of plant diseases. The drawback to this is that in some countries, prices are not high enough to incentivize farmers to cultivate them. Individuals in Peruvian markets are suggesting that the government should intervene to increase demand. Juana Villavicencio, who has been planting potatoes for 15 years and now sells them at a market in Cusco in Peru's southern Andes, expressed, "Prices are low. It is not profitable to work with potatoes." Science is progressing quickly, with German chemicals group BASF working on developing genetically modified potatoes that can resist "late blight." This disease, which caused famine in Ireland in the 19th century and still results in around 20 percent of potato harvest losses globally, is a major concern. Researchers suggest that using clean, virus-free seeds can increase yields by 30 percent and allow for export clearance. This could lead to higher incomes for farmers and potentially expand production, as companies would have the opportunity to sell specialty potatoes internationally, rather than just as frozen french fries or potato chips.