b'Harvesting DiversityFeeding Hope The first International Day of Potato is set for May 30, 2024.BY: ASHLEY ROBINSONON MARCH 11, the FAO officially launched the Communications Plan for the International Day of the Potato.More than 15 years ago, the potato industry gathered together in 2008 to celebrate the United Nations (UN) International Year of Potato. At the time it pushed the crop forward in the public eye raising its profile. As the years passed, those in the potato industry felt there was more they could do to continue the years legacy.Its important to raise the visibility of potato, Andre Devaux, international advisor for the World Potato Congress (WPC), explains in a Zoom interview. This is what we wanted to do, because potato, its grown in more than 20 million hectares around the world. Its the third food crop at the world level behind wheat and rice. Potato can contribute to most of(L-R) Peruvian Ambassador Julio Eduardo Martinetti, United Nations Committee of Agriculture the challenges such as food security, climateof the Food and Agriculture Organization Director General Qu Dongyu, World Potato Congress Board Member Andre Devaux and Christian Barrantes, vice minister of MIDAGRI, view a photo change and a shortage of sweet water thatexhibition on native potatoes promoting the potato biodiversity at an event in held July 2023, the world is facing today.to promote the International Day of Potato. Photo: Andree DevauxDevauxs participation in the initiative to establish the day began in 2020 whenDevaux and the WPC team started he was invited to serve as an internationalworking on the process to seek approval advisor for WPC. At the time he hadfor an international day from the UN. The recently retired, previously employed at theteam contacted representatives at the UN International Potato Centre as a nominatedCommittee of Agriculture of the Food scientist emeritus. The WPC president at theand Agriculture Organization (FAO) time, Romain Cools, approached Devauxwho were open to the idea, but said the with the idea to develop the concept for anproposal needed a formal submission from international day.a UN member country. From there the We were planning the World PotatoWPC reached out to several UN countries Congress in Irelandwhich happened inand created a committee to work on the 2022. When we started the interaction withproposal. Countries involved included Peru, the Food and Agriculture OrganizationIreland, Canada, Belgium, Australia and about this initiative, we were still hopingChina. The team then collected letters of that the International Day of Potatosupport from each of the countries.declaration could be announced during theConsidering the time needed to get all World Potato Congress in Ireland, Devauxthe letters of support and the formal process Andre Devaux, international advisor for the says. World Potato Congress required at FAO for the declaration of an 36SPUDSMART.COMSpring 2024'