International Year of the Potato relationship that exists between poverty, food security, malnutrition and the potential contribution of the potato to defeating hunger." This was one of many international observances declared for specific days, months and years. The year 2008 was shared with the International Year of Sanitation. It was hoped that International Year designation will do for the potato what the International Year of Rice (2004) did for that food staple, namely, inspire exhibits, educational programs, films, publications and greater public awareness of multi-national efforts on behalf of our food resources. The year 2008 was also designated the National Year of the Potato in
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (United Kingdom) in 2001. It was the last Ministry of the United Kingdom government not to be a Department of State. It was merged with the part of the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions that dealt with the environment (and with a small part of the Home Office) to create a new government department, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in 2001. MAFF was formally dissolved on 27 March 2002, when the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Dissolution) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/794) came into force. The Board of Agriculture, which later become the Ministry of Agriculture,