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The globalization of the American potato : from the Andes to the world
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Earle, Rebecca (2022) The globalization of the American potato : from the Andes to the world. In: Poole, Kristen and Fredrick, Sharonah E., (eds.) Routledge Resources Online - The Renaissance World. Routledge.
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780367347093-RERW90-1
Abstract
Today the potato (Solanum tuberosum esculentum) is a quintessential global food, enjoyed from Canada to Kazakhstan. Algeria and Bangladesh are among the world’s largest producers. Rwanda has the seventh-highest per capita consumption. The potato did not always enjoy this global presence, however. Before the 1530s the only people to consume potatoes lived in the Americas, where it was first eaten and domesticated. Although it served as a basic foodstuff to many people living along the slopes of the American Cordillera, it was unknown to the rest of the world.
The European invasion of South America in the early sixteenth century brought the potato to the attention of Europeans, and, subsequently, the rest of the world. Globally it has proved popular with peasant farmers, who appreciate its productivity and adaptability. Its status in its American homeland was and to some extent remains influenced by its close association with the indigenous people who first consumed it. During the colonial era, it was often dismissed by elites as a banal “food of the Indians,” even as they celebrated its nutritive powers.
This history reveals the close connections between eating, colonialism, nationalism, and the forces of cultural pride and racial prejudice. It demonstrates the powerful agency of indigenous farmers, and also the influence of international intellectual trends and exchange. This entry reviews the potato’s Latin American early modern history, while also touching on the broader story of how it became the world’s fourth most important food crop. Today the potato is considered a key resource in efforts to ensure global food security, and it is also a source of cultural capital for Andean countries such as Peru, which have sought to “nationalize” the potato as a distinctive heritage food.
Item Type: | Book Item | ||||
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Divisions: | Faculty of Arts > History | ||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Routledge Resources Online - The Renaissance World | ||||
Publisher: | Routledge | ||||
Book Title: | Routledge Resources Online - The Renaissance World | ||||
Editor: | Poole, Kristen and Fredrick, Sharonah E. | ||||
Official Date: | 30 May 2022 | ||||
Dates: |
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DOI: | 10.4324/9780367347093-RERW90-1 | ||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||
Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access |
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