Sarah TaberY'all know what day it is 🍀
In the US, St. Patrick's Day is strongly tied to the event that led so many Irish people to emigrate here: the famine of 1847.
Food systems & supply chains make history.
Andrew Reid@sarahtaber Many years ago I stumbled across an amazing (and amazingly engaging) documentary about the potato blight, which covered some of the issues you mention.
As the story is told, the potato blight was, in addition to its many geopolitical aftershocks, also central to the origin of plant pathology. (I am not in a position to assess this claim, ofc.)
It's "Hot Potatos", dir. John de Graaf.
Hot Potatoes | Bullfrog Films: 1-800-543-3764: Environmental DVDs and Educational DVDs
Explores the dangers of potato blight and the chemicals used to control it. From Bullfrog Films, the leading source of DVDs & videos about the environment, ecology, sustainable development, globalization, indigenous peoples, cultural diversity, and performing arts, music and dance.