Peruvian Potato Park
Supporting this conservation initiative
2008 is the International Year of the Potato and all year the UN will be recognising the role potatoes play in feeding the world’s hungry. That’s because potatoes grow well in places where land is limited and labour is abundant – conditions characterising much of the developing world.
As dedicated potato people, we wanted to make a major contribution to the activities, so we’re supporting a great cause a long way from home. We’ve recently donated £9,000 to the 12,000-hectare Potato Park near Cuzco in Peru, one of the few conservation initiatives in the world where local people are managing and protecting local genetic resources.
We’ve helped fund a new screenhouse facility, which will enable scientists and farmers to start restoring native potato varieties, using the park’s genebank – the world’s most comprehensive potato collection. The aim is to guarantee conservation, superior yield and quality, eventually sharing the benefits with other indigenous farming communities in the Andes.
