Food - Drink
Chinese President Xi Jinping's Small Potato Plan To End Poverty
By MATTHEW SPINA
Potatoes are vital to the survival of many global populations, and is the fourth most important staple crop in the world, behind corn, rice, and wheat. Chinese President Xi Jinping is even using the potato as the base of his plan to end hunger and poverty in the country; specifically, a smaller breed of potato with a big impact.
The President has suggested that farming villages grow a smaller type of potato that sells for a higher price, bringing more profits and pushing the potato as a staple that is easier and faster to grow than rice. If citizens' diets can be altered to include the more versatile potato as a main staple, pandemic-related food shortages may see faster relief.
The Chinese government is investing money to help farms transition into cultivating potatoes, and the media is claiming an "almost miraculous" improvement in poverty rates. Some wonder if these reports are true, but China is already the world’s largest producer of potatoes, and ramping up production could create more food for a country that desperately needs it.