Sustainable Potato Production - Guidelines for - FAO.org

Value addition and marketsWith its adaptability to a widerange of uses, the potato has apotentially important role to playin the food systems of developingcountries. In fact, in many countries, growthin urban populations, rising incomes anddietary diversification have led to rapidlyincreasing demand for potatoes from thefresh market, fast food, snack andconvenience food industries. The structuraltransformation of agriculture-basedeconomies into more urbanized societiesopens up new market opportunities forpotato growers and to their trading andprocessing partners in the value chain. Inorder to tap such potential, an efficientvalue chain for potato needs to beestablished.Often potatoes are purchased in thecountryside by traders from cities, with verylimited negotiation and with prices decidedat the farm gate, resulting in an unevendistribution of income along the valuecreation chain. This leads to insufficientbuying power among potato growers and thedraining away of capital that could beinvested in rural areas to buildinfrastructure such as roads and improveeducation.Good practices3Carry out consumer surveys to identifygrowing market segments and types ofproducts likely to be in demand in thenear future.3Develop and select cultivars that arepreferred by consumers, processingindustries or local exporters.3Use appropriate post-harvest practices andstorage facilities to keep tubers in theirmost edible and marketable condition.3To increase value, provide high qualityware potatoes or potato products toconsumers.3Use simple market-oriented technologiesthat transform potato tubers into stablehigh quality products.3Encourage farmer participation inproducer groups and organizations inorder to increase their marketcompetitiveness and bargaining capacityand strengthen their position within thepotato value chain.63Potential areas of improvement3Support participatory market chainapproaches for potato (see box).3Develop innovative marketing andutilization techniques linking small scalepotato producers to new marketopportunities.3Promote mechanisms and approaches tolink technology suppliers with farmers’needs, based on opportunities identifiedwithin a market chain framework.3Organize growers in cooperatives for jointpurchase of inputs such as fertilizers andfor joint processing and trading so that agreater proportion of the potato valuechain remains in the hands of producers.KEY INDICATORSOFSUSTAINABILITY