Potatoes and Web3

The Great Famine of Ireland

The Great Famine of Ireland in the 1840's had many causes. Among the causes were changing economies, population growth, policies, potatoes becoming a staple food of Ireland, late blight (Phytophthora infestans), of course, but also, genetic monoculture. Population growth and mass production was a product of a the First Industrial Revolution and the potato was part of the Industrial Agriculture in Europe. The potato, a food and economic staple from Peru, fed much of Europe.

When the famine hit, disease and famine were compounded by selling potatos for profit over feeding the people of Ireland. The result was devastating death and emmigration of the people of Ireland.

Genetic Diversity of the Peru Potatoes

Contrasting the mono crop method of Ireland, potatoes in Peru serve as an astounding example of genetic diversity. Sources say there are over 4,000 types of potatoes in modern day Peru.

The Andes Mountatins played a large part in the genetic diversification of potatoes in Peru. With varying elevations, moistures, and exposure to sunlight, the Andes Mountains supply varying climates within one region. Today, the people of Peru still work to protect the genetic diversity of potatoes.

In Ireland, one genetic makeup fell victim to a fungus. In Peru, because there is such a wide variety of potatoes, the loss of one species of potato would not cause a famine. 

Diversity, Web3, and Potatoes

Web3 allows for decentralization. Through decentralization, smaller networks or even individuals, working on self-sovereign enterprise, allow for greater diversification of economies and business opportunities. Also, if we look at a centralized mega-social network, hundreds of millions of users rely on one or few entities to keep their networking, and the data involved, functional and available.

When potatoes arrived from Peru, aristocracies applauded the food, even, in some cases, made it vogue to grow and wear potato flowers. One may assume this was marketing to create the economic interest for the new source of food the people in power owned the distribution of.

The European strongarm of potatoes here represents centralization. European leaders sold the food first to their people, then the people to grew the food to further the nation's economic goals, then, in Ireland, when there was a shortage, policy makers chose profit over people. Centralization led to death.

However, had the potatoes had diversity, or, had the economic power of Ireland been diversified to the people, possibly this tragic loss would have never occured.

Many of Ireland whom did not perish fled to America, forever changing history. The United States offered land and opportunity to own part of the economy. It offered, in accodance with the time, a decentralized system of governance. Fast forward to today, as evidenced by changes involving the SEC, BRICS, FedNow, and talk of CBDC's, monetary control still plagues our world. 

There are pivotal moments in history that change the world forever.

Global trade brought potatoes. Potatoes changed the world. Today, the internet is our global trade. With blockchain and Web3, the internet is changing. It is important as we move forward into the next interation of the internet, we remember our history (and science).

Self-sovereignty has new ways to make its way into this world. As the new world unfolds, remember the people of Ireland and remember the potatoes of Peru.