UN eyes "Belarus bread" to fight poverty
The United Nations have officially announced the launch of events in the framework of the International Potato Year, Interfax quotes the UN press office as saying in a statement. The International Potato Year aims to draw attention of the public to the role this vegitable can play in ensuring the food safety and eradicating poverty across the world.
The initiative to make the year of 2008 as the International Potato Year was made by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization. The proposal was backed by the UN General Assembly which in December 2005 passed a relevant resolution.
Potato is currently ranked as No 4 foodstuff in the world by its share in the agricultural production. It is outdone only by wheat, rice and maize.
A total of 315 million tons of potato was harvested in 2006, showing a two-time increase in output over the past 15 years. China, Russia and India grow almost 40 percent of the world's output.
The initiative to make the year of 2008 as the International Potato Year was made by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization. The proposal was backed by the UN General Assembly which in December 2005 passed a relevant resolution.
Potato is currently ranked as No 4 foodstuff in the world by its share in the agricultural production. It is outdone only by wheat, rice and maize.
A total of 315 million tons of potato was harvested in 2006, showing a two-time increase in output over the past 15 years. China, Russia and India grow almost 40 percent of the world's output.
