How the humble potato is powering a climate-resilient future in Lesotho
BOKANG MOSHOESHOE MAPHIKA
MASERU – As a global celebration unfolded in the capital, Maseru, the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) director general, Qu Dongyu, hailed the potato as one of agriculture’s success stories – feeding over a billion people and offering a lifeline in a world of rising costs, erratic weather and deepening food insecurity.
It is a vegetable so often dismissed as ordinary, a tuber that has for centuries played a quiet role on dinner plates and in backyard gardens. But in the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho – completely landlocked by South Africa – the humble potato is undergoing a remarkable transformation.
Once seen as mere subsistence food, it is now being celebrated as a powerful engine of poverty reduction, women’s empowerment, and climate resilience.
On this day, the FAO, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition and a special delegation from Peru, commemorated the International Day of the Potato. The message was unambiguous and urgent: invest in the potato, and you invest in a future where livelihoods flourish even as the climate wavers.
Under the global theme “Where potatoes grow, livelihoods flourish,” the event showcased how this unassuming crop is emerging as a strategic asset – not only for Lesotho but for vulnerable farming communities worldwide. And at the heart of the celebration was a powerful video address from Director-General QU, who described the potato as nothing less than “one of agriculture’s success stories.”
Speaking to a packed gathering of government officials, farmer associations, development partners, and agricultural experts, Director-General QU delivered remarks that resonated far beyond the small kingdom.
“Potatoes are grown across diverse landscapes and farming systems, from mountain regions to lowland areas,” he said.
“They are becoming increasingly important in a world facing rising production costs, weather extremes, and growing food insecurity.”
The numbers support his claim. Potatoes now help feed more than one billion people globally. They are the world’s third-most-important food crop, after rice and wheat, yet they require significantly less water and can be harvested in as little as 90 days.
In a time of climate unpredictability, that speed and efficiency are transformative.
But QU was careful to note that potential alone is not enough. He stressed the urgent need to improve potato farmers’ access to quality seeds, climate-adapted varieties, agronomic training, and innovative technologies—measures that can boost productivity while reducing environmental impacts.
“We must move from subsistence to sustainable systems,” he urged.
The decision to host the global celebration in Lesotho was no accident. For years, this small, high-altitude nation struggled with poor coordination, limited infrastructure, and weak market links. Its cool temperatures and volcanic soils – ideal for potato growing – remained largely untapped.
That began to change in 2022, when Lesotho joined FAO’s One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative, selecting the potato as its flagship crop, alongside Botswana, Eritrea, and Peru. The initiative helps countries build sustainable value chains from seed to sale.
The results have been striking. According to the Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, Selibe Mochoboroane, the country now plans to increase potato production by 10 percent annually to meet soaring local demand.
“Our national demand for potato stands at 122 000 metric tonnes, while current production is at 13 000 metric tonnes,” Mochoboroane told attendees.
“We are building local capacity to close that gap.”
In pilot areas, productivity has already jumped by 20 percent. More than 60 percent of farmers supported by the OCOP initiative are women – a critical detail in a region where rural women often lack access to land, credit, and markets.
The potato’s rise has captured the attention of Lesotho’s highest office. King Letsie III, an FAO Special Goodwill Ambassador for Nutrition, has become an outspoken advocate for the crop’s potential.
For the King, the potato is not merely an agricultural commodity; it is a tool for dignity, especially in rural communities where unemployment remains stubbornly high.
Minister Mochoboroane echoed this sentiment. “We are supporting the entire value chain – production, processing, transport, and markets,” he said.
Building local capacity, he added, means jobs, income, and reduced dependence on imported food.
One of the most compelling aspects of Lesotho’s potato story is the role of South-South and Triangular Cooperation. Peru – the ancestral home of the potato, where the crop was first domesticated over 7 000 years ago – has been instrumental in sharing centuries of expertise. China has also contributed knowledge exchange and technology transfer, offering practical solutions tailored to Lesotho’s highland environment.
This collaboration is not merely symbolic. It has led to improved seed systems, better pest management, and climate-smart farming techniques that smallholders can actually afford.
FAO and the World Trade Organization are now actively promoting regional cooperation to manage pests and diseases that threaten potato productivity across 12 African countries, including Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Delivering the keynote address, FAO Representative, Dr Patrice Talla, made a bold prediction.
“Potatoes are one of the few agricultural commodities where Lesotho truly enjoys a comparative and competitive advantage,” Dr Talla said.
“The highlands of Lesotho have the potential to become a potato seed heaven for Southern Africa.”
The logic is sound. Lesotho’s high-altitude, pest-free environment is ideal for producing certified disease-free seed potatoes – a product that is chronically scarce across the continent. If Lesotho can scale up its seed systems, it could supply not only its own farmers but also those in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and beyond.
Dr Talla emphasized that climate-smart agricultural practices and innovation are essential to ensure that potato farming remains productive and sustainable in the face of climate change.
“Expanding potato production and improving seed systems could unlock significant economic opportunities while helping the country reduce its dependence on imported agricultural products,” he added.
Among those who shared their experiences was, Teboho Lefu, from the Potato Association of Lesotho. His words captured the human reality behind the policy announcements.
“In many rural communities, potatoes are not just a crop; they are a source of survival, education for children, and hope for a better future,” Lefu explained.
He described how the potato value chain now supports thousands of people – from producers and transporters to traders and processors – making it one of the country’s most important agricultural industries. Farmers who once grew potatoes only for household consumption are now supplying local markets, schools, and even supermarkets.
Representatives of various farmer associations expressed appreciation for the government’s provision of agricultural machinery and other forms of support. Access to modern equipment, they said, has reduced production costs, improved efficiency, and increased yields, enabling many households to improve their livelihoods.
The International Day of the Potato was established by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2023, recognizing the crop’s contribution to food security, nutrition, sustainable agriculture, and rural livelihoods worldwide.
This year’s celebration – held simultaneously in Maseru, at FAO headquarters in Rome, and in Lima, Peru – marked a turning point in how the world views this tuber.
In Rome, complementary events included a cooking demonstration hosted with the Permanent Representations of Peru and Spain, showcasing potato-based dishes from diverse culinary traditions. An exhibition tracing the history, biodiversity, and global cultural significance of potatoes also opened at the FAO Museum and Network.
Yet the heart of the celebration remained in Lesotho, where the potato is no longer an afterthought but a pillar of national agricultural strategy.
As the event drew to a close, Minister Mochoboroane reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting farmers through policies designed to improve productivity, market access, and agricultural mechanization.
“Potato farming plays a crucial role in poverty reduction, economic opportunities, inclusive agri-food systems and sustainable development,” he said. “The potato industry presents significant opportunities. Lesotho’s participation in the African Union Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme reaffirms our commitment to sustainable agricultural growth.”
The challenge remains formidable. Closing the gap between 13 000 and 122 000 metric tonnes will require massive investment in irrigation, storage facilities, cold chains, and farmer training. But the early results under the OCOP initiative suggest that momentum is building.
FAO director general QU offered a final, hopeful note. “This occasion offers an opportunity to recognize the important contribution potatoes make to food security, nutrition, livelihoods and sustainable agricultural development around the world. We must continue investing in innovation, quality seed systems, and sustainable farming practices to unlock the full potential of the potato sector.”
For the farmers of Lesotho – especially the women who form the backbone of the nation’s rural economy – the potato has become something close to a miracle. It grows in thin mountain air. It withstands drought better than maize. It matures quickly, provides nutrition, and sells reliably at market.
As the Maseru celebration concluded with renewed calls for collaboration among government, development partners, the private sector, and farming communities, one thing was clear: the humble potato has finally stepped into the light.
Where potatoes grow, livelihoods flourish. In Lesotho, that is no longer a slogan. It is a reality taking root.
