The sweet potato has been a crop with a long agricultural tradition in the Canary Islands, where it was harvested in significant quantities on some of the islands. Furthermore, in times of hardship, it was a prominent food source in the diet of the inhabitants of this land (colloquially, it would be said that it "staved off much hunger").
The adaptation of the sweet potato to the climate and soil (jable and rofe) typical of this island has allowed them to acquire unique organoleptic characteristics that make them highly appreciated by Canary consumers. Moreover, its cultivation in these types of soils has shaped unique planting systems in the world that are admired by all visitors.
In terms of nutritional value, it has an appreciable content of carbohydrates and fiber, as well as carotenes and polyphenols. It also stands out for its content of potassium, manganese, calcium, and vitamins A, B, and C. Furthermore, despite its sweet taste, it has a very low sugar index. All these properties have led to it being considered a superfood.
In the not-so-distant past, the sweet potato was relegated to being a food for the most modest families; however, nowadays, due to its excellent nutritional properties, it is beginning to be demanded by consumers who are aware of the benefits of a healthy diet. This trend is being reflected in many European countries that have seen a notable increase in their consumption. Further proof of its health effects is that it is being prescribed by nutritionists to elite athletes (in the last European Football Championship, the sweet potato was an important part of the diet of the national team players).
In Lanzarote, its cultivation is maintained, despite the difficulties faced by farmers due to the drought suffered in recent years and the frequent cuts in the supply of irrigation water. The sweet potato is, after the vineyard, the crop that contributes most to maintaining the island's landscape. Currently, in the countryside, we see the cultivation of onions, legumes, and potatoes showing a trend of evident decline, if not inevitable disappearance, a dynamic that we must not tolerate in order not to continue seeing how our already scarce percentage of food self-sufficiency decreases.
Sweet potatoes from third countries enter the Canary Islands, whose phytosanitary conditions we ignore, as well as whether they carry pests not present in the islands. But, what we are sure of is that if they are not subjected to adequate controls, it will cause the disappearance of our local varieties.
In community legislation, there are two figures that recognize the differentiated quality in food productions: on the one hand, there is the PGI (protected geographical indication); and on the other, the PDO (protected designation of origin). In the scope of the islands, the PGI is used in those productions in which some of the phases of the process are carried out outside the Canary Islands (as happens with the ripening of the banana carried out in the peninsula or with the import of cereals for the elaboration of gofio). As for the PDO, all its stages are carried out in the archipelago. In the case of the sweet potato, all phases of the process (from planting to being taken to the market for consumption) are carried out in Lanzarote, so it meets the necessary requirements to be covered by a PDO, which would include both rain-fed and irrigated crops.
In the Canary Islands, Gofio, Ron miel, and Plátano currently enjoy the recognition of a PGI, with Aguacate de Canarias close to achieving it, and recently the Cabildo of Gran Canaria has announced that it will request a PGI for the Tomate Canario variety; and the Queso Palmero, the Queso Majorero, the Queso Flor de Guía, the Papas antiguas de Canarias, the Miel de Tenerife, the Cochinilla de Canarias, and the different PDOs of the wines of all the islands are listed under a PDO.
At the island level, we have as an example to follow the PDO "Vinos de Lanzarote". We believe that the great work carried out by its Regulatory Council in the recognition and positioning that the grape and wine of Lanzarote have in the national and international market cannot be questioned.
For all these reasons and in the spirit of preserving this crop, it is of vital importance to obtain a Protected Designation of Origin for the "Batata de Lanzarote". Obtaining this distinctive sign would be the first to be granted in Spain for this food, although not in Europe because Portugal has already achieved this protection figure for the Batata de Madeira.
The recognition of a PDO would mean accessing the protection measures contemplated in the legislation of the European Union for foods of differentiated quality.
Finally, it should be noted that to achieve this goal, the union of producers, the impulse of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, and the collaboration of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Government of the Canary Islands are more necessary than ever.
