World Potato Congress announces board changes

Jan 13, 2023

The World Potato Congress has announced that a Canadian potato grower and international researcher, Dr. Peter VanderZaag, becomes the new president and CEO. Since 2013, he has served as an international advisor then as a director. He’s played a supportive role in developing the programs for the past three congresses in China, Peru and Ireland.

Dr. VanderZaag along with his daughter Ruth and son-in-law Nick, own and operate Sunrise Potato, a large potato farming operation near Alliston, Ontario.

He has served in numerous roles in international potato research and development with the International Potato Center and as a visiting professor at Yunnan Normal University in Kunming, China.

John Griffin is stepping down from his role as president to spend more time with his potato operations in Elmsdale, Prince Edward Island.

Dr. Nora Olsen, professor and potato specialist with the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Idaho, will be the new vice-chair. She has co-authored and presented hundreds of extension and scientific papers. She’s been a WPC director since 2014, launching a popular webinar series.

The World Potato Congress also welcomes Brian Douglas as a director. He brings previous experience as general manager of the organization.

The 12th World Potato Congress will be held from June 23-26, 2024 in Adelaide, Australia.

Source : The Grower

Video: Democratizing Gene Editing - Pairwise’s Vision for the Future of Agriculture

Pairwise has built its business around an idea that runs counter to how many companies approach innovation: make transformative technology easier to access.

In this Seed World interview, CEO Tom Adams discusses why broader access to gene editing could speed crop improvement, expand innovation opportunities and help agriculture address emerging challenges. He explains why Pairwise believes no single company can solve all of agriculture's problems alone—and why making advanced breeding technologies available to more organizations could accelerate progress across the industry.

The conversation explores how consumer trust influences technology adoption, why innovations like pitless cherries and seedless blackberries matter beyond convenience, and how future crop improvements could help address labor shortages, automation, harvest efficiency and other production challenges. Adams also shares his perspective on what the industry may be underestimating about the next wave of gene editing innovation.

Watch the full interview to hear why Pairwise believes agriculture is approaching an important inflection point for gene editing, and why the pace of innovation over the next decade could surprise the industry.

Topics Covered:

o Democratizing agricultural innovation

o Consumer trust and technology adoption

o The business case for sharing innovation

o Expanding innovation beyond major crops

o Next-generation breeding technologies