TRADE AND MARKET I NG New ‘sustainable’ diet underestimates value of potatoes Corn (yellow grain) Wheat (flour/whole) Rice Potatoes Cassava Sweet potatoes Lentils Corn (yellow grain) Wheat (flour/whole) Rice Potatoes Cassava Sweet potatoes Lentils Protein/100g 9.42 Calories/100g Potassium mg/100g Calcium mg/100g 365 287 9.6 332 394 2.05 77 4 1.36 160 271 200 na 7 33 2.69 130 35 10 425 12 16 20 35 Prot kg/ha 0.537 24.6 352 677 Cal/ha 20.805 Potassium / ha 16.359 Calcium/ha 0.399 2.436 Vit C mg/100g 0 0 0 19.7 20.6 0 4.5 Vitamin C /ha 0.000 0.336 11.62 13.79 1.155 0.000 0.124 5.98 1.61 0.46 0.416 15.631 86.275 0.151 17.76 0.492 24.6 na 0.271 3.872 7.447 0.385 0.050 0.000 3.999 30.081 1.776 2.287 2.46 0.000 Av yield 5.7 3.5 4.6 20.3 11.1 12.3 1.1 grains and tubers, but its low yields mean that on a per hectare basis ity is a lot less impressive. It is this nutrients per hectare calculation that the EAT Forum report appears to ignore. However, the report is not just looking at the nutritional value of food, but also its environmental impact. Again, the EAT Forum report appears to underestimate the value of potatoes and the importance of yield. A recent study OxFord University (see: https://josephpoore. com/) into the environmental impact of certain foods was used by the BBC to develop a greenhouse gas calculator. It states that eating two small potatoes three to five time a week results in annual greenhouse gas emissions of 9kg a year. That compares to 69kg for rice, 25kg for pasta, 22kg for oatmeal and 12kg for bread. Potatoes also score very well in extensive work into the environmental impact by the Barilla Center For Food & Nutrition. It calculates that the CO2 emission of potatoes is 1 205g per kilogram produced, which compares to 1 050g for bread, 1 660g for legumes, 2 155g for pasta and 3 755g for rice. When it comes to water, potatoes use 55 litres for every kilogram produced. Only general vegetables are less thirsty at 335l. Bread uses 1 170l/kg, pasta 1 775l, rice 2 585l and legumes 2 710l. AfFordability is another key factor There is little focus on afFordability in the EAT Forum report, but that is important in a world where nearly half of people live on less than US$5.50 a day, according to latest World Bank figures. Analysis by the Alliance for Potato Research & Education in 2013 found that potatoes and beans were the least expensive sources of potassium and fibre, with white potatoes almost half the cost of most other vegetables by volume. The EAT Forum report has set out five strategies for improving sustainable diets. They are: • Seek international and national commitment to shift toward healthy diets; • Reorient agricultural priorities from producing high quantities of food to producing healthy food; • Sustainably intensify food production to increase high-quality output; Strong and coordinated governance of land and oceans; • At least halve food losses and waste, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals. Aside from the fact that the world needs to produce large quantities of healthy food, these five facts will make a lot of sense to anyone in the food industry. If they are to be achieved, then improved production of all crops will be necessary. Underestimating or even excluding any of them does not make sense, particularly when it is a crop such as the potato which has such a role to play. ● Cedric Porter World Potato Markets www.worldpotatomarkets.com Potato World 2019 • number 1 41 Pagina 40

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