The first International Potato Day will happen on May 30, 2024, a Sept. 1 news release from the World Potato Congress (WPC) said.
Last July, the Committee of Agriculture of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) approved a proposal presented by the Peruvian government to declare May 30 as the International Day of the Potato. The release noted this decision was the culmination of an effort promoted by a working group set up by the WPC in collaboration with the FAO.
“It will be the first International Day declared by the United Nations for a major crop and it is a testament of the many qualities of the potato that make it a vital tool in helping to eradicate poverty, improving food security, and providing healthy and nutritious food to millions of consumers around the globe,” the release said.
WPC members lobbied authorities in various countries to help ensure the proposal was successful, the release said. The WPC created an international coalition of support led by Peru, centre of biodiversity of the crop, and supported by Ireland, Canada, Belgium, Australia, and China.
The release noted Peru is keen on building on the success of the International Year of the Potato celebrated in 2008. The date chosen, May 30, coincides with the celebrations of the Peruvian National Potato Day.
The proposal willow be formal adopted by the FAO at their annual general assembly in December, and then at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2023 it will be approved, and the resolution of the declaration will happen. Due to the final steps in the approval process the first International Potato Day will be celebrated on May 30, 2024, the release said.
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