Ecuador

Ecuador’s Andes region, especially in provinces like Carchi, Chimborazo, and Loja, is a key center of potato diversity, home to around 350 varieties, though only about 14 are commonly found in markets. Notable types include native varieties like Cecilia, the improved Super Chola, and the striking Leona Negra. INIAP has also introduced colorful, antioxidant-rich varieties such as INIAP-Puca Shungo (Red Heart) and INIAP-Yana Shungo (Black Heart).

The main potato-growing areas lie in the highland provinces of Bolívar, Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, and Carchi, where small-scale farmers typically work plots under five hectares. According to FAO data, Ecuador’s per capita potato consumption in 2022 is estimated at 14.37 kg, with total production in 2023 reaching around 262,000 tons.

Agriculture in Ecuador began during the Formative Period (4400–300 B.C.), with potatoes first recorded around 1500 B.C. in Cotocollao. Ecuador is a center of potato biodiversity, home to 23 wild species and three cultivated types: Solanum phureja, S. chaucha, and S. tuberosum subsp. andigena. Despite over 400 native landraces, genetic erosion is a concern due to high-yield variety adoption and market limitations.

Conservation efforts by INIAP and CIP focus on ex-situ and on-farm preservation, though many landraces remain molecularly uncharacterized. Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is a major challenge, though some native varieties show resistance. In the Andean highlands, small-scale farmers typically cultivate potatoes on about one hectare of land.