FAO Highlights Africa’s Potato Potential as Production Rises

Potatoes are taking a larger place in the food-security conversation across Africa. On June 3, 2026, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations published an article examining the crop’s potential and its connection to resilience.

What the FAO says

In sub-Saharan Africa, around 33 million smallholders depend on crops such as potatoes for food and income, according to the FAO. The organization also says that more than one billion people eat potatoes every day. Across Africa, potato production increased by 20% between 2019 and 2023.

Those figures place the crop beyond the role of a familiar ingredient. They show why changes in potato production can matter to both farming households and the wider food system. The recent growth is a clear sign of momentum, while the scale of dependence explains why the FAO connects potatoes with food security and resilience.

The plant-health work behind the potential

Higher production is only part of the picture. The FAO and its partners are collaborating with 12 African countries on a project designed to strengthen potato-related inspections, diagnostics and phytosanitary measures.

That focus gives the announcement a practical dimension. It shows that the wider food-security question includes the technical systems used to inspect crops, identify problems and support plant health. The project’s scope is specific, even though the available facts do not state a timeline or report results from the work yet.

Why this matters for food readers

For anyone who mainly encounters potatoes at the market or on a plate, the important change is upstream. The FAO is drawing attention to the conditions that help a staple crop contribute to reliable food supplies, rather than offering new cooking guidance or a consumer product announcement.

The remaining compromise is straightforward: the promise of greater potato production comes with the need for stronger inspections, diagnostics and phytosanitary capacity. The FAO’s 12-country project addresses those areas, but its eventual impact cannot be assessed from the announcement alone.

The June 3 publication presents Africa’s potato growth as an opportunity tied to food security and resilience. Its most concrete development is the 12-country effort to reinforce plant-health systems. For now, the production increase is established; the project’s results remain to be seen.

Sources

• Official source: fao.org
• https://www.fao.org/newsroom/fao-blog/detail/fao-blog/2026/06/03/africa-s-potato-potential--the-path-to-food-security-and-resilience/en