CHAPTER 4

THE FOOD REVOLUTION

MACHU PICHU

• LOCATED IN CUZCO, PERU

• “SACRED CITY OF THE INCAS”

• “THE LAND OF POTATO”

• BUILT IN A SPECTACULAR LANDSCAPE HIGH IN THE ANDES

• DESTROYED BY THE SPANISH

THE INCAS

• THEY WERE NOT SUPERSTICIOUS AND/OR SENTIMENTAL (UNLIKE THE MAYANS)

• THEY WERE NOT MYSTICAL• DIDN’T BUILD LARGE PYRAMIDS (UNLIKE

THE AZTECS)• THEY WERE HOWEVER VERY AUSTERE

AND PRACTICAL IN EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR LIVES.

• SHOW NO RELIGIOUS FERVOR

• USED ANGULAR STYLE TO CONSTRUCT BUILDINGS

• TERRACES TECHNIQUES• ADVANCED IRRIGATION SYSTEM• ORGANIZED, EVEN WITH THEIR

ECONOMIC SYSTEM • WERE NOT CAPITALIST NOR MERCANTILIST• THEY LACKED MONEY, MARKETS,

MERCHANTS, BUT MANAGED TO AVOID FAMINE

• WORLD’S GREATEST EXPERIMENTERS WITH AGRICULTURE– ROOT CROPS (POTATO)

• WORSHIPED LIFE-GIVING PACHAMAMA- MOTHER OF EARTH & INTI- THE SUN

AGRICULTURE IN THE ANDES

• NATIVES AND INCAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS WERE SUCCESSFUL

• YIELDS OF ROOT CROPS SUCH AS (OCA, ANU, ACHIRA)

• YIELDS OF CORN

• YIELDS OF POTATO

CULTIVATION OF POTATOES

• THE POTATO DESCENDED FROM A TUBEROUS THAT GREW THROUGHOUT THE AMERICAS

• POTATO WAS PART OF THE DIET OF INDIAN GROUPS

• INDIANS OF THE U.S AND MEXICO WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DOMESTICATING THEIR OWN VARIETIES OF POTATOES WHEN THE SPANISH ARMY CAME IN THE 16TH CENTURY

• BY THE 16TH CENTURY ANDEAN FARMERS WERE PRODUCING ABOUT 3,000 DIFFERENT TYPES OF POTATO

• THE CULTIVATION OF POTATOES IN THE ANDES SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE WORLD LIKE THE SILVER OF POTOSI (SLOWER THAN SILVER, BUT IT HAD A GREATER IMPACT)

• WHAT WOULD IRELAND BE WITHOUT POTATO TODAY?– CONSIDER THE FAMINE IRELAND FACED

IN THE LATE 1840S

• WITHOUT THE POTATO THE SOVIET UNION WOULD NOT HAVE BECOME A WORLD POWER

• WITHOUT POTATO NORTHERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WOULD NOT HAVE THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF LIVING

EUROPE WITHOUT THE POTATO

• BEFORE THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA THE OLD WORLD DEPENDED ON GRAIN CROPS THAT FACED NUMEROUS PROBLEMS DURING THEIR GROWING CYCLE

• UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER ESPECIALLY IN NORTHERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

• NATIONS AROUND THE MEDITERANEAN WERE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN GRAIN PRODUCTION

(GREECE, ROME, PERSIA, EGYPT)

• WHEN THE POTATO ARRIVED TO THE OLD WORLD IT WAS NOT APPRECIATED

• EUROPEANS DIDN’T EAT ROOT CROPS BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT CONSIDERED REAL FOOD

• EUROPEANS CLAIMED THAT POTATOES CAUSED LEPROSY BECAUSE IT GREW IN SUCH UGLY FORM

• IT WAS CALLED “ DEVIL’S PLANT”

• ENLIGHTENED PHILOSOPHER, DENIS DIDEROT WROTE THAT THE POTATO WAS TASTELESS

• ADAM SMITH ON THE OTHER HAND, DEFENDED ITS IMPORTANCE AND THEORARIZED ITS ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE IF ADAPTED IN EUROPE

POTATO=MORE PRODUCTION=POPULATION EXPLOSION=HIGHER LAND VALUE

• EXCELLENT FOOD FOR LOWER CLASS• IT MADE MEN STRONGER AND WOMEN BEAUTIFUL

ENLIGHTENED DESPOTS

• UNTIL THE 1750s THE POTATO TOOK ROOT IN EUROPE

• CATHERINE THE GREAT, FREDERICK THE GREAT, JOSEPH II FORCED THEIR PEOPLE TO GROW POTATO

• SERIES OF FAMINES, EPIDEMICS, AND/OR WARS

• THE PEASANTS IN KHAL HAD TO GROW POTATOS OR ELSE FACE SEVERE FINANCIAL STRAIN– BURDEN OF TAXES ON THE MILLS AND

BAKERS WHICH LEAD TO THE INCREASE ON PRICES OF BREAD

GROWTH OF POTATO=MORE FOOD=MORE NUTRITIENTS=LESS LABOR=LESS CONSUMPTION OF CALORIES

GROWTH OF POTATOS

• POTATO COULD BE EATEN RIGHT AWAY AFTER PULLED

• IT COULD BE STORED FOR NEARLY A YEAR

• IT REQUIRED LESS ATTENTION AND CARE

• SHORT TIME TO GROW (3 TO 4 MONTHS)

POTATO

• POTATO COULD BE USED IN MANY DISHES– (BAKED, BOILED, ROASTED, FRIED, IN

SOUPS, PANCAKES, DUMPLING, AND PIES)

• POTATO IMPROVED GENERAL HEALTH, STRONGER TEETH, AND CURE EUROPEAN FAMINES

• THE POTATO THRIVED IN EUROPE AND IT ADAPTED EASILY TO THE COOL CLIMATE CONDITIONS OF NORTHERN EUROPE

• NOT ALL THE VARIETIES OF POTATOES IN AMERICA WERE GROWN IN EUROPE

• IRELAND WAS THE FIRST NORTHERN EUROPEAN COUNTRY TO ADAPT TO POTATO FARMING

INTRODUCTION OF THE POTATO

• THERE ARE MANY LEGENDS1. SIR WALTER RALEIGH INTRODUCED

THE POTATO TO ENGLAND IN THE 1500s ON HIS WAY BACK FROM THE CARIBBEAN

2. IRISH PEASANTS DISCOVERED THE POTATO IN THE GALLEYS OF THE SHIPS OF THE SPANISH ARMADA IN 1588

• IRISH BECAME DEVOTEES AND FANATICS OF THE POTATO IN THE 1600S. “STAPLE CROP”

• RUSSIANS ADAPTED THE POTATO IN THE 1830s/1840s. THEY BECAME DEVOTATED TO THE CULTIVATION OF THE POTATO

TRACING THE HISTORY OF THE POTATO

• INDIANS OF THE ANDES HAVE CALLED “PAPA” (WHITE POTATO/COMMON POTATO)

• THE WORD “POTATO” FIRST CAME INTO ENGLISH AS THE NAME OF A VERY DIFFERENT PLANT IMPORTED FROM THE CARIBBEAN ISLAND– SWEET POTATO- THE WORD BATATA CAME

FROM THE TAINO INDIANS OF HISPANOLA & THE SPANISH MADE IT PATATA

POPULATION EXPLOSION

• BETWEEN 1650 & 1950 POPULATION INCREASED DRAMATICALLY IN EUROPE, AFRICA AND ASIA

• MEDICAL INNOVATION• IMPROVED NUTRITION• PUBLIC HEALTH AND SANITATION• POTATO• CULTIVATION OF HUNDREDS OF FOOD

CROPS BY AMERICAN INDIANS SUCH AS CORN

• BEANS, CORN, SQUASHES, RICE BROUGHT FROM AMERICA

• SUNFLOWER BROUGTH FROM AMERICA (RUSSIA)

• CASSAVA BROUGHT FROM AMERICA (AFRICA)

• AMARANTH (FROM MEXICO) & QUINOA (FROM THE ANDES)

OTHER CROPS