International Year of the Potato International Year of the Potato The year 2008 was declared the International Year of the Potato by the United Nations, noting that the potato is a staple food in the diet of the world’s population, and affirming the need to focus world attention on the role that the potato can play in providing food security and eradicating poverty. Food and Agriculture Organization was invited to facilitate its implementation. The corresponding resolution adopted on 25 November 2005 by the Food and Agriculture Organization, which was to facilitate the implementation of the year, affirmed "the need to revive public awareness of the
Food and Agriculture Organization dissolved by resolution of its Permanent Committee on 27 February 1948. Its functions were then transferred to the recently established FAO. From the late 1940s on, FAO attempted to make its mark within the emerging UN system, focusing mostly on supporting agricultural and nutrition research and providing technical assistance to member countries to boost production in agriculture, fishery, and forestry. During the 1950s and 1960s, FAO partnered with many different international organizations in development projects. In 1951, FAO's headquarters were moved from Washington, DC, United States, to Rome, Italy. The agency is directed by the Conference of Member Nations, which