2008 — Year of potatoes, sanitation and languages

SPUDS, languages and sanitation are an unlikely threesome — but tell that to the head-honchos at the United Nations.

For 2008 these three distinct topics will each enjoy the status of having the “International Year” title dedicated in their honour.

It is an opportunity for international bureaucracy to turn its attention to unwitting subjects which enjoy the benefit of research grants and scientific study.

Let’s hope all three have a better time in the spotlight than last year’s recipient. The UN decided 2007 was the International Year of the Dolphin only for the researchers to give up on searches for China’s rare Yangtze freshwater river dolphin.

Just as the water-based mammal was about to assume the UN honour, the only freshwater dolphin in the world was declared extinct after a 20 million-year existence.

Fortunately, after 8,000 years on the menu for South Americans and four centuries winning friends in Europe the potato is in better shape.

Peru’s International Potato Centre has seeds for 4,200 species of potato in case one species is in trouble.

Unsurprisingly it was Peru who wedged the potato into the international calendar despite criticism from around the world. And for 2009 Italy has succeeded in turning the global telescope on astronomy.

This trend has seen the “International Year” tag derided for inflating obscure notions, but it was not always so.

The status of women was recognised in 1975, ultimately helping to make gender equality a core principal of UN development policies.

In recent years the UN has been accused of running out of ideas or at least ones worthy of a full calendar year.

After recognising rice and mountains after the millennium it turned to the lofty themes of physical education and micro-credit.

Defending seemingly innocuous subjects like the spud the UN said the concept will allow people to understand the importance of simple, sustainable crops in the quest to eradicate famine around the world.