Jun 5, 2022

WPC calls on industry to help advance UN Sustainable Development Agenda

World Potato Congress (WPC) President Romain Cools called upon the global potato value chain to invest in solutions to advance the UN Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, which includes 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) that are geared to end poverty, protect the plant and improve lives.

During WPC, figures illustrated world population growth to 9.7 billion by 2050, and a sustainable way to grow 70% more food when climate change poses a very real challenge. Millions of family farmers are needed to assure food security, provide jobs and wealth creation, and engage in an active value chain.

WPC included its four pillars in its Declaration of Dublin.

Pillar 1: Enhance the profile and benefits of the potato. 

• It has been proven by science that potatoes can feed people in a healthy way.
• Taking into consideration the population growth in Africa, South America and Asia, the potential of the potato for these areas needs to be looked at and to be reflected in national agriculture policy and planning on global, regional and local level.

Pillar 2: New partnerships must be forged.

• Research partnerships need to be intensified and adopted to support methods to overcome production challenges and climate effects for rural communities.
• Partnerships throughout the potato value chain need to be developed in order to increase access to clean seed, productivity and value chain development by the private sector.

To set up these partnerships the following requirements lay on the table:

• Economic levers for rural communities in developing countries
• Investment capital into professional potato projects
• Raising awareness of entrepreneurship in the farming sector
• Collaboration to create new value chains

Pillar 3: Best practices must be championed. 

• Offering farm management and sustainable crop production technologies in collaboration with R&D entities
• Reducing food losses along the potato value chain and creating better storage capacity
• Extending marketing assistance (including quality, promotion, market access, added value, processing, innovation, more efficient production and packaging)

Pillar 4: The role of the World Potato Congress.

• A regular scheme of ‘international webinars’, focusing on R&D, economy, consumption, trade, crop management and storage
• ‘Regional collaboration’ with authorities and organizations, including awarding regional initiatives. The biennial World Potato Congress also allows more regions to welcome the global potato community, sharing knowledge and experiences and setting up new initiatives
• ‘Sustaining partnership’ brings ideas of private companies, organizations and media together to inspire the WPC board and international advisory committee and its initiatives