As wheat and rice prices continue to rise, the potato is gaining recognition as a cost-effective and nutritious crop that could help alleviate hunger worldwide. India aims to increase potato production by twofold within the next five to 10 years. China, traditionally reliant on rice and prone to famines, now leads in potato cultivation. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the potato is experiencing significant growth compared to other crops. Potatoes, originally from Peru, can thrive in a variety of climates and elevations, from the cold Andes Mountains to the tropical regions of Asia. They need very little water, can be ready in just 50 days, and can produce two to four times more food per hectare than wheat or rice. Pamela Anderson, director of the International Potato Center in Lima, warns of potential food shortages and believes potatoes could help address this issue. The potato is seen as a solution to hunger caused by factors such as rising food prices, increasing population, higher costs for fertilizer and fuel, and more land being used for biofuel production. The United Nations designated 2008 as the International Year of the Potato to raise awareness of its potential as a valuable resource. Peru's government has introduced a program promoting the use of potato flour in breadmaking in response to the rising prices of wheat. This initiative aims to provide potato bread to various groups, such as school children, prisoners, and the military, with the hope of popularizing this alternative. Advocates of potato bread claim it is just as delicious as wheat bread, but there is a lack of mills equipped to produce potato flour. Peru's agriculture minister, Ismael Benavides, believes that changing people's dietary preferences is necessary in order to address this issue. People became dependent on wheat due to its affordability. Despite the potato originating in Peru 8,000 years ago, Europeans consume more potatoes than Peruvians. Belarus is the top consumer of potatoes globally, with each person consuming an average of 376 pounds per year. In Latvia, rising bread prices have led to a decrease in sales and an increase in potato consumption. In the developing world, the majority of new potato crops are being planted, providing an opportunity for poor farmers to increase their income as consumption grows. Countries are recognizing the potato as a beneficial option for enhancing food security and generating income. Despite being the world's third most important food crop after wheat and rice, potatoes are often associated with the Idaho variety in the United States, but in reality there are around 5,000 different types of potatoes available in a variety of colors. Peru is providing numerous seeds to the Doomsday Vault near the Arctic Circle this year, contributing to a gene bank for food crops as a precaution against a global disaster. Potatoes come in a variety of colors, shapes, and textures, allowing creative chefs to make visually appealing dishes. Juan Carlos Mescco, a 17-year-old potato farmer in Peru's Andes, enjoys eating potatoes in different ways throughout the day. Potatoes are a good source of complex carbohydrates that provide slow-release energy and have a low fat content compared to wheat. Boiled potatoes have fewer calories than bread and more protein and calcium than corn, according to the Potato Center. They have vitamin C, iron, potassium, and zinc. The potato remains affordable because it is not a global commodity like wheat, so it 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 are mainly driven by local tastes rather than international demand. Raw potatoes are difficult to transport due to their weight and tendency to spoil, which has hindered global trade in them. Additionally, they are prone to diseases, making exporting them a challenge to prevent the spread of plant pathogens. This has resulted in unattractive prices in some regions, discouraging farmers from growing them. People in Peruvian markets believe that the government should intervene to increase demand for potatoes as prices are currently low. Juana Villavicencio, who worked with potatoes for 15 years, now sells them for very little money in a market in Cusco, Peru. However, there are new genetically modified potatoes being developed by BASF that are resistant to "late blight," a disease that caused famine in Ireland in the 19th century and still causes significant losses in potato harvests worldwide. Using clean, virus-free seeds can increase yields by 30 percent and allow for exportation, according to scientists. This would result in an increase in revenue for farmers and would also motivate companies to expand their production by selling specialty potatoes internationally rather than limiting sales to frozen french fries or potato chips.