By Katherine L. Adam
NCAT Agriculture Specialist
January 2005 ©NCAT 2005
Introduction
The sweetpotato has a long history as a crop to stave off famine—especially as a cheap source of calories. Today, China cultivates more than 90% of world sweet potato acreage. Sweetpotato has been grown in China since the late 16th century, and 40% of the Chinese harvest is used as animal feed to support a growing domestic demand for animal protein. (See www.fao.org/DOCREP1003/TO554E13.htm and www.apcaem.org/postharvest.) The International Potato Center (Centro Internacional de la Papa, CIP), Lima, Peru (www.cipotato.org/sweet potato/sweetpotato.htm), maintains the largest sweetpotato genebank in the world, containing thousands of wild, traditional, and improved varieties. In contrast with
China, 90% of production in South America (and in Africa) is for human consumption.