This poster was issued by the French Ministry of Agriculture to persuade the French to plant more potatoes to feed both soldiers and civilians during World War I. Government departments increasingly commanded agricultural production as well as the feeding of both military and civilian populations during the war, introducing rationing coupons and controlling the food market. The destruction of French agricultural land during the years of conflict made this task especially complex. In the foreground of the illustration here, a French soldier stands with his back to the viewer, apparently appealing to an elderly peasant couple. The man leans on a spade while the woman holds a basket of potatoes; a war-damaged town can be seen in the distance.