CIP will be organizing a ground-breaking conference on the future of the potato during 2008, as well as other, high-profile events in selected countries around the world. CIP will be working to intensify the research base on potato, its genetic resources, breeding, pests and diseases, to increase productivity on a continuing basis.
In particular, CIP will also be working closely with its collaborating institutions and donors to highlight the importance of the contribution that the potato can make to poverty alleviation, food security and human health.

Representing the CGIAR, CIP will be collaborating closely with FAO to plan, develop and implement the UN’s activities to mark the Year.

CIP will be taking the lead in coordinating and implementing CGIAR activities for the International Year of the Potato (IYP).

The Government of Peru was responsible for nominating 2008 to the United Nations as the IYP, so CIP will be working with its host Government in developing national activities.

The United Nations (UN) has declared 2008 as the International Year of the Potato, in Resolution 4/2005 of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, adopted on 25 November 2005.

This major event will present many opportunities to raise the profile of potato among civil society as an important world food staple, and to raise the profile of the potato as a contributor to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The UN Resolution notes that the potato is a staple food in the diet of the world’s population. It affirms the need to focus world attention on the role that the potato can play in providing food security and eradicating poverty in support of achieving internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.

The Resolution goes on to invite “the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to facilitate the implementation of the International Year of the Potato, in collaboration with Governments, the United Nations Development Programme, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research Centres and other relevant organizations of the United Nations system, as well as relevant non-governmental organizations.”

FAO is the UN body organizing activities for the International Year of the Potato. The link below takes you to the FAO resolution naming 2008 as IYP.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/010/j6705E.htm.

Go to: www.potato2008.org to see the FAO website dedicated to IYP.

This is the site of the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Peru. The site is in Spanish. The link takes you to the Spanish language version of the FAO declaration...

Contact
For further information, please contact Paul Stapleton, Head, Communications and Public Awareness Department, CIP