Source: PotatoPro
The Irish Potato Federation–with the support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Bord Bia, Failte Ireland and Teagasc–has won its bid to host the World Potato Congress (WPC) in 2021 in Dublin.
It is expected that 1,000 delegates from developing and developed countries across the globe–including growers, researchers, producers, traders, processors and manufacturers–will attend the congress.
The Irish Potato Federation has also secured the simultaneous hosting of the Europatat Congress–the annual congress of the European association of the potato trade. Both events will become a week-long focus on the potato, the third-most important food crop in terms of global consumption.
“I am delighted to be able to announce this good news for Ireland in the RDS, which will be the congress venue for the 2021 World Potato Congress,” says Andrew Doyle, minister of state at the Ireland Department of Agriculture. “I want my department and Bord Bia to continue to work with the Irish Potato Federation to make this event a great success for the Irish food industry.”
“Winning the World Potato Congress for Ireland is the culmination of a lot of hard and creative work by a very dedicated committee," says Michael Hoey, president of the Irish Potato Federation. "I know that the 2021 congress will shine a spotlight on the importance of the potato in Ireland, and across the globe, and become a centrepiece of world-class marketing excellence.”
“Ireland has a very important historical and cultural connection with the potato going back hundreds of years,” says Romain Cools, president and CEO of World Potato Congress Inc. “I see the 2021 congress looking at the important role the potato will play in the future as a sustainable source for food security across the world. The World Potato Congress in Dublin will be the perfect follow-up to this year’s congress, which will be held in May 2018 in Cusco, Peru. I will be working closely with the Irish Potato Federation over the coming years and really look forward to visiting Dublin in 2021 for the Congress.”