Ireland . pushed off the best pasture land and forced to farm smaller plots of marginal land, the Irish turned to the potato, a crop that could be grown abundantly in less favorable soil. Eventually, cows took over much of Ireland, leaving the native population virtually dependent on the potato for survival.
What country was saved by potatoes?
Probably the first area of Europe to cultivate it on a wide scale was Ireland in the early 17th century, so that by the 18th century the Irish population exploded and its people subsisted almost entirely on the crop.
When did potatoes save the world?
“Potatoes, by feeding rapidly growing populations, permitted a handful of European nations to assert dominion over most of the world between 1750 and 1950,” wrote McNeill. The potato frenzy continued unstoppably until a blight paved the way for the Great Famine of 1845-1849 in Ireland.
Did potatoes save Europe?
"In an inversion of the potato miracle that helped make their migration possible, European immigrants thrived through growing Old World grains in their new terrain. The resulting plenty boosted birth rates to among the highest in recorded history.
How did the potato save the world?
The introduction of the potato to Europe in the 16th century changed agriculture, allowing farmers to grow more crops on less land. In turn, this allowed communities to feed themselves on smaller amounts of land. As a result the price of land dropped.
More useful articles on a similar topic 👇
What is the economic importance of crops?How did the potato impact the environment?
