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Welcome to Spotlight! I’m Liz Waid.
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And I’m Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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It all began in November, 2005. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations met together. This group works to defeat hunger in every part of the world. At the meeting, the Permanent Representative of Peru proposed an idea. He wanted the world to know more about a special food. He believed this food could provide food security and help to stop poverty. He suggested that the United Nations devote a whole year to this amazing vegetable.
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By December of that year, officials agreed to the Peru Representative’s request. The year 2008 would be a year devoted to ... potatoes! January 1 2008, marked the beginning of the International Year of the Potato. Have you noticed more potatoes this year than last year? The United Nations hopes that by the end of 2008, you will know more about how this special food can change the world.
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Today’s Spotlight is on 2008 - the International Year of the Potato.
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The potatoes we eat are a part of the root of the potato plant. These roots grow into the round shaped tubers we eat. There are thousands of different kinds of potatoes throughout the world. They come in many sizes, shapes and colours. Potatoes contain many good substances people’s bodies need to work. For example, potatoes are high in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide the human body with energy.
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The United Nations believes this simple food could change people’s lives around the world. How? Well, first, potatoes can grow in many places worldwide. Experts believe that people first ate potatoes about eight thousand [8,000] years ago. The food began in areas of South America. By the 1500’s, explorers there brought potatoes back to Europe. They spread quickly! And today, people grow potatoes in about one hundred [100] countries - including China and India. In fact, potatoes are the world’s fourth largest food crop. The United Nations estimates that in 2006, growers around the world produced almost three hundred fifteen million [315,000,000] tonnes of potatoes!
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And experts believe potatoes are becoming a very important crop for developing countries. For many years, developed countries produced and used the largest crops of potatoes. But in 2005, for the first time, developing countries produced and used more potatoes than developed countries. Today, China is the largest potato producer.
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Second, the UN believes potatoes are so important because potatoes can feed the hungry. Many people in the world do not get enough to eat. This can be especially true of people living outside cities. Lack of food leads to poor general health.
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It can be difficult to get food to hungry people. The United Nations says that many hungry communities may have enough workers, but they may be poor or not have enough land to work on. But the potato is a perfect crop for these conditions!
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We know that potatoes can grow in many different places. But potato plants are also able to succeed where other plants cannot. Potato plants grow quickly. They do not use a lot of land. And potato plants can grow in severe climates better than other crops can. Because of these things, experts believe that potatoes can help stop poverty in many communities.
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Potatoes also produce more food than other crops do. The UN says eighty-five [85] percent of the potato plant is food that people can eat. Other crops do not produce that much. People can only eat about fifty [50] percent of grain crops. What remains is waste.
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So, potatoes can grow many places worldwide. And they can feed the hungry. But they are also very healthy for people to eat! That is the third reason the UN wants people to know more about potatoes.
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As we said before, potatoes are full of carbohydrates. This makes them a good source of energy. But they are also a good source of protein. People can eat many kinds of tubers, similar to potatoes. But potatoes have more protein than these other kinds of roots or tubers. Potatoes also contain vitamin C and potassium. These substances are also necessary for a healthy body.
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Finally, the UN wants people to know more about potatoes because demand for these vegetables is growing! The UN has noticed a pattern in worldwide production of potatoes. In the last ten years world potato production has continued to increase. There seems to be no sign that this will change.
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You can see why the United Nations would want to devote a year to this amazing food! Through the year 2008, the International Year of the Potato, or IYP, has set some goals. First, IYP wants to give people more information about potatoes.
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Second, the IYP wants to show people how potatoes can reach the Millennium Development Goals. The United Nations created these goals to improve life for all people in the world. All the world’s countries have agreed to reach these goals by the year 2015. Particularly, the UN believes potatoes can help stop extreme poverty and hunger. This is one of the Millennium Development Goals. Another is to make sure the world’s environment stays safe. They believe potato plants are not damaging to the environment.
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Finally, in the year 2008, the International Year of the Potato wants to encourage people everywhere to share information about potato production. There are many ways to grow plants better. IYP hopes that communities can share information like this. They hope that people can work together to feed the hungry. Everyone can benefit from this knowledge!
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The IYP will celebrate the year of the potato in many different ways. They will organize activities that people in particular communities or worldwide can be involved in. Governments, Farmer Associations, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and many others will also be involved.
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At Spotlight, we will celebrate the IYP by bringing you more information about events and information about potatoes through the year. Keep listening to find out how people all over the world will be celebrating this year and thinking about the potato.
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There is only one question left. How will you celebrate the International Year of the Potato?
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