By Potato News Today, based on an article published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
As the world marks International Potato Day 2026, Kent Nnadozie, Secretary of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, has called attention to the potato not only as a food crop of global importance, but as a shared genetic heritage that depends on cooperation, conservation and continued scientific investment.
In an article published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Nnadozie said the International Day of the Potato, observed each year on 30 May, celebrates a crop that has nourished civilisations, shaped cultures and continues to sustain livelihoods worldwide. He noted that the Day also highlights the potato’s contribution to food security, nutrition and rural development, as well as its role in addressing challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss.
Potato’s place in the International Treaty
The potato is listed in Annex I of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, a status that reflects its importance to global food security and the interdependence among countries in their use of plant genetic resources.
Under the Treaty’s Multilateral System, potato genetic resources are conserved, shared and used by researchers, plant breeders and farmers. Nnadozie said continued access to diversity is essential for sustaining and improving the crop.
He also pointed to the most recent comprehensive analysis of the Multilateral System, which confirms that potatoes are among the most frequently exchanged crops. According to the FAO article, this exchange of germplasm through Standard Material Transfer Agreements demonstrates how international cooperation supports plant breeding innovation and strengthens the resilience of agrifood systems.
Diversity as the foundation of resilience
Nnadozie emphasised that the potato’s value lies not only in its widespread production, but also in the diversity and heritage it embodies.
Originating in the Andes and now cultivated across all continents, the potato has become a powerful example of human ingenuity and adaptation. Thousands of varieties and a rich pool of wild relatives provide traits that help the crop adapt to different environments, resist pests and diseases, and respond to changing consumer needs.
This genetic diversity is matched by the potato’s cultural and linguistic richness. Across regions and traditions, the potato appears on tables in countless forms and links communities, cuisines and identities. Nnadozie described the crop as a connection between the Andean highlands and farming systems in Africa, Europe and Asia, reflecting the global nature of food systems and the shared reliance on plant genetic resources.
A crop central to farming systems worldwide
The FAO article also underlines the potato’s major role in global agriculture. Countries including China, India, the United States, Russia and Germany are among those playing leading roles in potato cultivation, contributing to a global output of hundreds of millions of tonnes each year.
This production base, Nnadozie noted, shows the crop’s importance to both subsistence farming and commercial agriculture across diverse agroecological contexts.
More investment needed in conservation and research
Looking ahead, Nnadozie said continued investment in the conservation, documentation and characterisation of potato genetic resources remains essential.
He identified stronger information systems, improved passport and phenotypic data, and effective conservation and access to plant materials as critical for maximising the benefits of the Multilateral System.
At the same time, he said support for plant breeding and research is more important than ever. The diversity of potato genetic resources can help breeders develop improved varieties that are more resilient to climate variability, better adapted to local conditions, and responsive to nutritional needs and market demands.
Benefit-sharing and farmer communities
The article also notes that, for more than fifteen years, the Benefit-sharing Fund of the International Treaty has supported small farmers and their communities through projects aimed at conserving, adapting and improving the genetic diversity of potato and the traditional knowledge associated with it.
Some of the sixteen projects that included potato as a target crop established new local seed banks, reintroduced materials that had been lost from farmers’ fields using national and international genebanks, and cleaned traditional materials from viruses.
Nnadozie also acknowledged the contribution of the International Potato Center to the conservation and use of potatoes, as well as the role of local farmers in the Andes. He noted that the Treaty Secretariat worked closely with them last year in preparing a seed fair in Lima during the Eleventh Session of the Governing Body.
A call for renewed cooperation
Nnadozie’s message for International Potato Day 2026 is ultimately a call to recognise the potato as more than a crop. It is a global resource shaped by farmers, researchers, communities and institutions across generations.
“Today, we celebrate the farmers who cultivate it, the researchers who improve it, and the communities who depend on it every day,” he wrote.
He said the spirit of cooperation underpinning the International Treaty is central to ensuring that plant genetic resources, including potato, continue to serve present and future generations.
The article closes with a call to reaffirm commitment to conserving diversity, strengthening collaboration and advancing the sustainable use of potato genetic resources in all their richness.
Image: Credit FAO
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