How Potatoes Saved the World
The potato can be enjoyed in various ways and is one of the world’s favorite foods.
In the past, it is also the food that helped save the world from hunger.
According to historians, potatoes were first grown around 8,000 years ago by the Inca people in Peru.
Thanks to the potato’s abundant nutrients, the Incas grew stronger and healthier, so their civilization advanced quickly and even became an empire.
In contrast, thousands of years later, Europeans faced challenges in growing grain crops, such as wheat and rice, because they required ideal weather and lots of land.
Consequently, famine struck many regions of Europe.
Then, in the 16th century, the introduction of potatoes allowed European farmers to grow more food on less land and, in turn, protect people against starvation.
Similarly, the easy-to-grow sweet potato reached China in the 1560s, and its popularity soon ended hunger in large regions.