Colombia

Colombia is a major potato-producing country, with key growing regions including the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Antioquia, the Nariño plateau, and the Cordillera Oriental. The Altiplano Cundiboyacense is the heart of potato cultivation, offering year-round production thanks to its high-altitude climate. Antioquia, located in the northwest, is known for its significant output and cultivation of varieties like Nevada potatoes. In the cooler highlands of Nariño and the Cordillera Oriental, potatoes remain a staple crop.

Popular Colombian potato varieties include Papa Criolla, Papa Pastusa, Papa Sabanera, and the regionally prized Criolla potatoes. According to FAO data, Colombia produced approximately 2.57 million metric tons of potatoes in 2023, while per capita consumption in 2021 reached 54.64 kg/year.

In 1538, a Spanish visitor to the central mountain ranges of present-day Colombia observed that local people cultivated “a kind of earth truffle”—most likely referring to potatoes. Colombia lies on the northern edge of the Andean region, recognized as a center of potato origin and domestication.

Today, while this "earth truffle" remains a vital subsistence crop for many small-scale farmers, potatoes also form the foundation of Colombia’s commercial potato sector—the largest in the Andean region. The country is widely acknowledged as a key hub of potato diversity and cultivation, playing a significant role in preserving native varieties and advancing regional food security.