(extracted with permission from World Potato Markets 4/6/19 issue)
Just two years until Ireland hosts premier event
Organisers of the World Potato Congress are flagging up the next event in Dublin, Ireland, in two years’ time. The conference will take place between 31 May and 3 June 2021 and will coincide with the Europatat Congress, the first time the two events have run alongside each other.
“Because of our history, no country is better placed to vouch for the role of the potato in combatting global hunger and its credentials as a sustainable and nutritious staple,” says Liam Glennon, chair of the local organising committee.
“It is our intention to fully involve developing countries in the WPC programme agenda and to profile best practices that are creating new potato enterprises, promoting food sustainability and contributing to raising the standard of living of communities. The Irish Potato Federation is working very hard with WPC Inc. to create a stimulating and varied programme based on the very latest global potato developments. Sparing no effort to secure the very best speakers in their field (business, trading, production and research) from any part of the world, along with optional visits to Irish institutions and production units, will ensure high visitor numbers. We have a saying in Irish: Céad Míle Fáilte. Literally it means “one hundred thousand welcomes”, and this we will heartily extend to the global potato community in Ireland in 2021.”
Romain Cools, President of the World Potato Congress says: “In collaboration with the International Potato Centre (CIP) and a number of umbrella organisations active in potato-driven development projects, this Congress will also continue to activate and promote potato projects in Africa, Asia and South America. The potato crop can stimulate welfare and well-being in societies in this part of the world.”
More on the Congress can be found at https://potatocongress.org/. The site also includes webinars from potato experts, including from World Potato Markets editor, Cedric Porter, who discusses the global market.