Side Event

The significance of the potato in relation to the CBD or, "mucho mas que un alimento..."

Organizer
The International Potato Center (CIP), and Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ)

Date and Time
20 May 2008 13:15 - 14:45

Meeting
Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 9)

The potato; biological resource industrial feed stock, part of the Andean culture....Are these factors a help or a hidrance in the task of combating hunger and poverty? One of the themes of the CBD COP9 in Bonn is biological diversity for food and agriculture ( agricultural biodiversity work program). This side event aims to draw attentioin-visually by means of a phographic exhibition, intellectually with a panel discussion, narratively through a game of "What if..."? - to the opportunities the potato offers in terms of achieveing the MDGs. The focus throughout is on the numerous outdstanding questions relating to the use of the potato, many of which are holy debated.For the panel discussion we invited high lvel stakeholders with different perspectives and backgrounds : a representative from the plant breeding industry, representatives of NGOs struggling against patenting , a farmers representative , representatives from research and from the international community as well as a political decision maker. To round out the program culinary treats will be offered featuring / presenting the diversity of potato varieties.