Europatat Congress 2019: Heightened Focus on Sustainability and Innovation

Another successful edition of Europatat has just concluded. Hosted under the slogan “The timeless potato: A dynamic and innovative food” in Oslo, Norway, the event focused on the many assets of the sector in innovation, sustainability and circular economy. In total Europatat welcomed more than 100 participants from 15 different countries.

“The Europatat Congress has become a key date for the potato sector in Europe, and this year’s edition in Norway shows the growing importance of cooperating in a globalized market,” said Gilles Fontaine, president of Europatat.

Europatat attendees took part in a series of presentations. During the morning session, Marianne Borgen, mayor of Oslo, highlighted the importance of sustainability and how potatoes are a key ingredient for a green future. During his intervention, Arne Ivar Sletnes, head of International Affairs of the Norwegian Agriculture Cooperatives, gave a Norwegian perspective of the current International trade policy. According to him, trade must answer to current challenges such as increased world population, land and water shortage, and climate change. Additionally, two cases studies showcased how the Norwegian potato sector has adapted to consumer demands related with health, sustainability and convenience. Next, Ingeborg Flones, CEO at HOFF SA, demonstrated how to be successful in pursuing a circular economy within the potato section, while Åsmund Bjertnæs, CEO of Bjertnaes & Hoel, showed how to connect with consumers and teach the next generation.

Participants also got a chance to hear Anita Krohn, Norwegian business executive and winner of several international awards, including “Best Female Leader in the ICT Industry” stress the importance of sifting from management to leadership in order to speed up the business transformation required to survive these challenging times. Moreover, Borghilg Gorvigen, project manager of the Norwegian Potato Forum presented the main activities of the “Imagine a World Without Potatoes” that will take place in Norway.

“After these inspiring presentations we can conclude that innovation cannot overlook sustainability, and sustainability cannot overlook innovation,” concluded Raquel Izquierdo de Santiago, managing director at Europatat.

This year’s event was organized by Europatat, the European Potato Trade Association, in collaboration with NFGF, the Norwegian Association of Fruit and Vegetable.