Adelaide, South Australia has been named as the host city for the 2023 World Potato Congress (WPC), the first time this globally significant biennial business event has been held in Australia.
The successful bid, led by the Adelaide Convention Bureau and Potatoes South Australia, ultimately focussed on an ‘Old World Meets New’ theme given the historical status of the potato as a food staple, the innovation and technology applied to its production today and the investment in research and development being undertaken locally and internationally with consideration given to global changes in sustainability, climate, culture and population.
Potatoes South Australia presented the WPC board with an all new initiative which also featured strongly in South Australia’s successful bid to host the event. As of the 2023 congress, a ‘WPC Trust for Developing Nations’ will be established, the purpose of which will be to help fund Potato Industry Research, Development and Education in developing nations.
The WPC ‘Old World meets New’ theme will focus on the importance and position the potato will play in the future with topics for discussion and discovery at the congress to include sustainability, technology in production and biosecurity.
The 2023 World Potato Congress is expected to attract over 1000 delegates to Adelaide for the week, generating in excess of $4.5 million to the State’s economy and almost 40 direct jobs.
