Since the 1960s, the world has seen big regional changes in the areas devoted to potato cultivation and in production. Nevertheless, yields per hectare have increased in all regions to give a global average of 21.41 t/ha for the period 2016–2020. Increased production in the future is likely to come from further yield increases by narrowing the gaps between actual and potential yields, with a current global average ratio of around 50% for actual divided by potential yields. Although modern industrial farming has given relatively large short-term gains in yields to over 40 t/ha in a number of countries, its sustainability is being questioned together with its impact on the environment, biodiversity and climate change. There is increasing debate about the importance of regenerative (restorative) agriculture, with its emphasis on crop rotations to maintain soil health, including the more restrictive requirements of organic farming. It is difficult and costly, but necessary, to do research to compare farming systems that provides important answers that are both statistically significant and biologically meaningful. Longer-term research may also result in new potato cultivars with increased resource use efficiency through the better capture and utilization of light, carbon dioxide, water and nutrients.