Ireland is a relatively small island country and like any Island country there are unique challenges for survival. The Irish people have had it tough throughout history whether it’s been from war, discrimination, plague, and especially famine. The one crop that the Irish rely on to fulfil the majority of their nutritional needs is the potato. The potato is a wonder food for the Irish because it can be grown in large quantity, be stored, and be survived on alone. The starchy plant is rich in vitamin C as well as a plethora of others. Without the potato the Irish will struggle.
During the Potato blight in 1846 over three quarters of the crop was lost. Phytophthora infestans is the viral disease that kills the potato plant. It originated in Mexico; it traveled from there to North American and finally made its way to Europe in 1843. The strain was called HERB-1 It drains the plant and the crop of all essential nutrients making it uneatable. The English were not fond of their Irish neighbors and were not willing to help the Irish during their time of need. No financial, or humanitarian aid was provided. All of the Irish people were suffering the effects of the blight. More than a million men, women, and children died due to the crop deaths. There was a unusually brutal winter this year to make matters worse. Freezing temperatures and thick snow killed many more of the already weak and battered Irish. A million more immigrated out of the country, mainly to North America. The ships taking all of the immigrants were called “coffin ships” due to the tough passage and high mortality rate.
A later form of the Phytophthora infestans disease spawned in the United States in 1970, it was named US-1 and took over for the HERB-1 strain. In 2013, Michigan University studied the genetic modification to be resistant the disease and it has passed with flying colors. The FDA and the EPA have both approved this genetically modified plant.