CIP: ‘Day for Disaster Reduction’ touts root and tuber resilience

Observed annually on October 13, International Day for Disaster Reduction is a celebration of global communities’ resilience in the face of natural or man-made disasters, as well as an attempt to draw attention to steps that need to be taken to bolster food security, infrastructure and more. In the face of more powerful storms resulting from a globally changing climate, potato and sweetpotato take on additional layers of significance on both fronts. Through its Food Security Through Asian Root and Tuber Crops (FoodSTART) project across Southeast Asia, CIP is working with partners to promote roots and tubers’ role in promoting greater food resilience. “Root and tuber crops (RTCs) [are] survival crops in times of food crises: during post-disaster periods (usually post-typhoon), lean months during monsoon season, and harvest failure caused by drought or pest infestation,” said Mavic Relayson, a CIP Philippines spokesperson. More