Background

The potato (Solanum tuberosum) originated some 8 000 years ago in the Andes of South America. It was appropriate, therefore, that the initial impetus for declaring 2008 as the International Year of the Potato came from the Government of Peru.

At the biennial Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in November 2005, the Permanent Representative of Peru proposed - and the Conference adopted - a resolution that sought to focus world attention on the importance of the potato in providing food security and alleviating poverty. The resolution was transmitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, with the aim of having the UN General Assembly declare the year 2008 as the International Year of the Potato.

The Sixtieth Session of the General Assembly accepted the resolution in December 2005, and invited FAO to facilitate the implementation of IYP 2008. The resolution noted that the potato is a staple food in the diet of the world's population and affirmed the role that the potato could play in achieving internationally agreed development objectives, including the Millennium Development Goals.

FAO resolution

The International Year of the Potato

THE CONFERENCE,

• Noting that the potato is a staple food in the diet of the world's population;
• Desiring to focus world attention on the role that the potato can play in providing food security and alleviating poverty of the population;
• Convinced that concerted efforts are needed to address the issues and challenges that derive from the reduction of productivity, the depletion of natural resources, the problems of the environment and the loss of biodiversity in the present systems of potato cultivation;
• Recognizing that there are important links between institutions engaged in potato research and development;
• Recalling also that, at its Thirty-first Session, it endorsed the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture;
• Affirming the need to revive public awareness of the relationship that exists between poverty, food security, malnutrition and the potential contribution of the potato to defeating hunger;

Requests the Director-General to transmit this Resolution to the Secretary-General of the United Nations with the aim of having the United Nations declare the year 2008 the International Year of the Potato and also requests the Director-General to make progress reports to future sessions of the FAO Conference and to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on action taken on the International Year of the Potato, including financial resources obtained and, once the year has taken place, results achieved.

[25 November 2005]

United Nations declaration

International Year of the Potato

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

• Noting that the potato is a staple food in the diet of the world's population,
• Recalling resolution 4/2005 of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, adopted on 25 November 2005,
• Affirming the need to focus world attention on the role that the potato can play in providing food security and eradicating poverty in support of achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals,

1. Decides to declare the year 2008 the International Year of the Potato;
2. Invites the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to facilitate the implementation of the International Year of the Potato, in collaboration with Governments, the United Nations Development Programme, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research centres and other relevant organizations of the United Nations system, as well as relevant non-governmental organizations.

[22 December 2005]