Publications /  The Potato, Treasure of the Andes
From Agriculture to Culture

Instead of medicine, Ochoa opted to study agriculture at the University of Cochabamba in neighboring Bolivia. "I chose agronomy," he says, "because it was the quickest way of getting back to Peru."

During more than 50 years of work at CIP, universities and institutions worldwide, Ochoa has become one of the world’s best known and most respected potato specialists. The New York Times has described him as the "Indiana Jones" of the potato, because of his search to uncover wild species, which has taken him to the most inhospitable areas of the Andes.

Ochoa has discovered more than 80 wild species of potato, close to half of those known today. He has also contributed substantially to the creation of the largest potato genebank in the world, maintained by CIP. Ochoa is responsible for breeding more than a dozen varieties that are currently being cultivated, and three species are named after him: Solanum cochoae, Solanum ochoanum and Solanum ochoae.

His search for potatoes has gotten him into scrapes in several countries. He was arrested in Ecuador, where he was accused of being a spy; he was nearly killed by villagers in northern Peru, who thought he was a thief. And during the height of Peru’s guerrilla war, Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) rebels pursued him. But Ochoa’s work has also brought him numerous awards, including the Bernardo A. Houssay Inter-American Science Award, the Alan Shaw Feinstein World Hunger Award and an honorary doctorate from Peru’s Ricardo Palma University. His personal favorite, however, is Outstanding Alumnus, awarded by the University of Minnesota in the USA.

The potato is clearly more than just an academic interest for Ochoa. He shows an unmistakable passion when he speaks of the crop and its potential. Ochoa’s work on wild potatoes, many of which are inedible, has helped conserve the genetic building blocks for new varieties with traits that can improve the well being of numerous farmers and consumers in developing countries the world over.

Lucien O. Chauvin