Sustainable potato production and global food security

Abstract

The potato (Solanum spp.) is currently the leading non-grain commodity in the global food system with production exceeding 329 million metric tonnes in 2009. The extraordinary adaptive range of this species complex combined with ease of cultivation and high nutritional content have promoted steady increases in potato consumption especially in developing countries. Recent uncertainties in world food supply and demand have placed the potato in the upper echelon of recommended food security crops. This introductory chapter provides the latest updates on geospatial patterns of potato production world-wide. In addition, the potential impacts of climate change, agrobiodiversity, biotechnology, and soil resource management on sustainable potato production are briefly discussed.