Potato in tropical and subtropical highlands
Increasing profits, improving nutrition
The Andean highlands, where potato was first domesticated, is the primary center for the conservation of potato biodiversity. At elevations between 1,500 and 4,000 meters, this agro-ecosystem also includes potato areas in Asia and Africa, which face similar climate risks and socio-economic conditions.
Resource-poor farmers in mountain ecosystems grow potatoes both for food and to generate income. The potato yields more nutritious food more quickly on less land and in harsher climates than any other major food crop. Production constraints include small farm size, vulnerability to stress and, increasingly, extreme weather events linked to climate change.
