New Zealand’s World Potato Congress

The World Potato Congress, a non-profit organization, is composed of a group of directors who volunteer their time to represent various jurisdictions of the potato industry around the world. The mission of the Congress is to support the global growth and agricultural development of potatoes. The group provides useful and informational materials to help build a network containing people with a common interest - a family of potato supporters, if you will - all having a diverse variety of concerns and interests related to the potato.

Organizers of the World Potato Congress seek to create communication links and the sharing of information throughout the global community of potato growers and harvesters. The Congress has been in operation each year since 1993, and every year it is hosted along with partnership in local communities of different countries around the world.

This year’s World Potato Congress is being held in New Zealand. Speakers at the Congress will provide numerous informational talks about how the increasing standards for food quality and safety will affect the potato industry; the affect of climate change on potato farmers; and the issue of whether or not potatoes may be eventually used as a biofuel.

Workshops at the Congress will cover the effect of consumer tastes on changing varieties of potatoes, diseases that are soil-borne that attach potatoes, carbon footprinting, and steps being taken to improve the nutritional value of potatoes that are processed before being distributed and sold to consumers. The theme of this year’s Congress is "Nourishing our Future; Nutritious, Delicious, Sustainagle." Organizers feel this theme is a very relevant one in today’s society, because consumers are increasingly demanding food that is high in nutrition and farming that is sustainable. The Congress speakers hope to demonstrate the potato industry’s mission to keep potato industry operations sustainable.

The World Potato Congress is being held in the Christchurch Convention Centre, which is located in New Zealand’s central city. The city is home to numerous historical and social attractions, as well as outdoor activities such as extreme sports, boating, walking tours, and cultural exhibits. The Congress ends just before the beginning of the South Island Agricultural Field Days, the leading agricultural event in New Zealand. Thousands of farmers from around the country descend upon the city of Lincoln, a longstanding location for growing and harvesting potatoes.

Representatives from more than 40 countries are attending the Congress, with special groups including scientists from South America, researchers from the Canadian International Development Agency, potato growers and biological scientists from numerous developing countries around the world, processors and merchants from countries including the United States, Britain, India, South Africa, Germany, Sweden, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, Canada, and Argentina.

For more information about the World Potato Congress and planned events, visit www.potatocongress.org.