“Can potatoes feed the world?” became a serious question in 2008 when a global food crisis coincided with the United Nations International Year of the Potato. There was a realization that poor countries could achieve greater food security by growing more potatoes to supplement or even replace imported grains. It remains a serious question today, when more potatoes are grown in Asia (53%) and Africa (8%) than in Europe (27%) and North America (7%), and potatoes are the third most important food crop after wheat and rice, given that maize has other uses. A longer and more accurate form of the question is, “Can potatoes make a greater contribution to global food security during a period of world population growth, lack of new land for food production, and climate change?” It is a scientific and technological question set in a political, economic and societal context. The answer requires an understanding of the history and biology of potato cultivation, as well as farming and food systems. A positive outcome needs action by many players, from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to individual farmers, and including governments, international organizations and multinational companies.