2008: The Year of the Potato
In 2008 the United Nations declared it the International Year of the Potato. The main aim of the year was to note "that the potato is a staple food in the diet of the world's population" and "revive public awareness of the relationship that exists between poverty, food security, malnutrition and the potential contribution of the potato to defeating hunger"
- In 2007 China was the worlds top potato producer, supplying the world with over 72 million tonnes of potatoes
- Per person, Europeans ate 87.8kg of potatoes in 2005
- The top potato consumers in Europe were the Russians eating over 18 million tonnes, not even closely followed by the Ukrainians and the United Kingdom, each consuming a mere 6 million tonnes.
