Potatoes prove to be the planet friendly crop

When it comes to food production, environmental concerns are major issues for both the farming and manufacturing industry which is why the Potato Council commissioned the comparative study and presented its findings to levy payers and interested third parties recently.

The study builds on our previous research work to show that GB potatoes are healthy. The industry has made significant advances in sustainable production methods and it is important that we focus on generating maximum and consistent exposure for these messages among Government and agencies, as well as consumers. Combined with the evidence to support their healthy credentials, this research is ideally positioned to help us inform key audiences to ensure potatoes get top billing when it comes to recommending the types of food we should be eating.

Top-line research findings emerging from this study, focusing on the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and water usage of the three carbohydrates, found that potatoes and pasta have systematically lower GHGE and water impacts than basmati rice on a fresh or dry weight basis.

The higher levels of GHGE associated with basmati rice can be attributed to emissions generated during primary production and transportation from India, while the differentiation in water usage can be attributed to the far more significant irrigation requirements of rice.

The distinctions between potatoes and pasta were far less pronounced. However, when expressed in terms of a typical portion size, potatoes have lower GHGE and are affected less by water scarcity.

So, on a global scale, a portion of potatoes potentially has a lower environmental impact than basmati rice or pasta alternatives, which is good news for potato growers and customers.

You can download the full PDF report from Cranfield University from www.potato.org. uk/publications

By Caroline Evans