Last week saw the launch of a new blight-resistant potato variety that is also resistant to many other diseases.
I believe this news must rank as one of the most important breakthroughs within the field of agricultural science in living memory.
What makes this development all the more memorable is the fact that it has been achieved without the use of genetic modification (GM) and/or genomic editing.
It truly was a case of plant breeders seeking out the native potato strains that they needed in Peru, and taking the project on from there.
Blight-resistant potato
In my opinion, the scale of this breakthrough is truly hard to quantify. Currently, blight-related losses within the international potato sector amount to €8.5 billion.
Meanwhile, the costs associated with the purchase of fungicides to treat the disease come in at a similar value.
So the end result of all this represents a ‘win-win’ scenario, both for growers and those who consume the humble spud.
For the record, one third of the world’s population still rely on potatoes as the main source of energy in their diets.
Commercial scale
The coming years will see if the claims made by the plant breeders for the new potato variety can be verified on a truly commercial scale in countries around the world.
One of the most significant aspects to the work undertaken, has been its total dependence on the plant biodiversity that exists in Peru.
If ever the world needed proof that we do away with native species and the vast diversity within the natural world that is all around us at our peril, this is it.
This plant breeding breakthrough also flies in the face of the likes of Monsanto, which seems to think that GM is the answer to all our problems.
In truth, I am fast coming to the conclusion that GM and all other related sciences could be creating long-term issues for humanity – many, or all of which, could prove very difficult to step back from.
It’s also worth pointing out that the development of the new variety completes the circle, where the humble potato is concerned.
The original tubers were brought into this country from South America almost five centuries ago.
So it is right and fitting that plant breeders went back to that part of the world to solve a problem that has been at the heart of world hunger for so many years.