[foobar1962]

I picked that up too. Awkward. I think they mean that 80% of all calories are provided by wheat, maize, rice, and potatoes.

[darth_aardvark]

Yeah, but that statement is basically information-free re: potatoes.

"Boiled squid liver is a popular food. Along with wheat, maize, rice, and potatoes, they make up 80% of all calories eaten by people worldwide."

is technically true, but doesn't tell you anything about boiled squid liver consumption.

[allturtles]

FWIW, the data I found puts potatoes at 1.7% of world calorie consumption [0], but also puts the sum of maize+wheat+rice+potatoes at closer to 50% than 80%.

[0]: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/most-important-staple-fo...

[throw310822]

I interpreted it as "they're part of the class of foods that, depending on the culture, can make up to 80% of the calories of each meal'.