The potato has a larger story to tell than its humble status
suggests. In this fascinating account of the potato and its role in
human history--and the human future--James Lang tells that story.
Combining biology and social science, he describes the origins of
cultivated potatoes and how they spread as a staple throughout the
world; the many ways to propagate, store, and harvest potatoes; and
the crop's potential for feeding a hungry planet. Along the way,
Lang also muses on art and agriculture, the stars and ancient
peoples, and the cycles of time; he reflects on famine and
demography, describes village-based, farmer field schools, and
looks at the role the potato plays in feeding China.
Native to the New World, the potato was domesticated by Andean
farmers, probably in the Lake Titicaca basin, almost as early as
grain crops were cultivated in the Near East. Full of essential
vitamins and energy-giving starch, the potato has proved a valuable
world resource. Curious Spaniards took the potato back to Europe,
from whence it spread worldwide. Today, the largest potato producer
is China, with India not far behind. To tell the potato's story,
Lang has done fieldwork in South America, Asia, and Africa.
From the many potato projects studied, Lang learned a simple,
direct lesson: how to address basic problems with practical
solutions. Whether the problem is seed production, pest management,
genetic improvement, or storage, projects take the diversity
imposed by place and by farming traditions as a starting point. In
agriculture, one size does not fit all.
Lang's grasp of the social and technological issues involved is
formidable; his revisionist thoughts on the origins of agriculture
are convincing. "Notes of a Potato Watcher" explains how "think
globally, act locally" can actually be applied. Here is a book that
anyone interested in potatoes, development, and small farms will
not want to miss, a book that explains why the potato was not the
culprit in the Irish famine, a book that shows why solutions must
begin at home.
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