Courtney McGrailA photographic exhibition highlighting the work of the Irish Potato Coalition set up by Vita, the Irish NGO fighting against hunger and climate change in Africa, was opened on The Mezzanine, Terminal 1 in Dublin Airport by President Michael D. Higgins.
Supported by Irish Aid, the Irish Potato Coalition is a research-led programme that works in partnership with African potato farmers as they develop every aspect of the production chain – from establishing co-ops to improving seed stock, market research, pest and disease control. Since 2012 the programme has reached 10,000 farmers and they have seen their yields improve from eight tonnes per hectare to 34 tonnes per hectare.
President Higgins, who recently visited potato projects in Ethiopia, said the coalition is “a great example of a sophisticated collaborative model that brings together responsible scientific research aimed at sustainability, agribusiness and international development practitioners, for the benefit of potato farmers across six African countries, and in close cooperation with local agricultural support services”.