The potato became the major contributor to the European population explosion of 1750–1850 which in turn resulted in increased urbanization and contributed to the underpinning of the Industrial Revolution in England in the nineteenth century. Potato (Solanum tuberosum) ranks as the world's third most important crop for human consumption, after rice and wheat. Throughout its history, the potato has been contributing to food security and poverty eradication [1, 2].
What is the social impact of potatoes?
The domestication of the potato gradually resulted in greater food production which in turn stimulated population growth, development of cities, technology, crafts, arts, sciences, and political centralization.
How did potatoes impact history?
More than that, as the historian William H. McNeill has argued, the potato led to empire: “By feeding rapidly growing populations, [it] permitted a handful of European nations to assert dominion over most of the world between 1750 and 1950.” The potato, in other words, fueled the rise of the West.
Why is the potato plant important to humans?
Today the potato is the third most important crop in the world in terms of food consumption, after rice and wheat, and hundreds of millions of people in developing countries depend on potatoes for their survival.
How did potatoes impact labor practices from 1450 to 1750?
How did the sweet potato impact labor practices from 1450-1750? Potato labor stimulated growth of African Slave Trade. Potatoes were made through slave/coerced labor.
How did the potato impact the world of Agriculture?
Equally important, the European and North American adoption of the potato set the template for modern agriculture—the so-called agro-industrial complex. Not only did the Columbian Exchange carry the potato across the Atlantic, it also brought the world’s first intensive fertilizer: Peruvian guano.
How did the potato become so popular in Europe?
Even though the Hungarian people had no idea what the potato was, they planted and ate the potato increasing potato production (Crosby, 1972). As other famines hit Europe, the potato became a staple crop, especially in Ireland. Ireland fully embraced the potato.
Can the potato contribute to global food security?
After the collapse of the former Soviet Union in the 1990s, the potato was a key factor in subsistence throughout the post-socialist countries by growing them in home gardens. Its nutritional quality, adaptability to different climates and cultivation methods makes the potato uniquely suitable for its role in contributing to global food security.
How did the potato lead to the rise of the west?
More than that, as the historian William H. McNeill has argued, the potato led to empire: “By feeding rapidly growing populations, [it] permitted a handful of European nations to assert dominion over most of the world between 1750 and 1950.” The potato, in other words, fueled the rise of the West.
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