Nepali alum builds his networks at the World Potato Congress 2024
Posted: 10 July 2024
Yadav Padhyoti, an Australia Awards alum who is a Senior Agriculture Economist in the Government of Nepal’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, recently attended the 12th World Potato Congress 2024 in Adelaide, Australia. His participation was supported through an Australian Professional Opportunity.
The Congress serves as a platform for discussing national, regional and global issues related to the potato value chain. This year’s event, held on 23–26 June 2024, had the theme ‘Old World Meets New’, and highlighted the historical significance of potatoes as a staple food, the technology used in potato production, and investments in research and development for global sustainability. At the Congress, Yadav presented a poster—on behalf of all authors involved—aimed at improving food security in Nepal through seed security.
With over 1,000 attendees from around the world, the Congress facilitated knowledge-sharing, breakthroughs in innovation, and discussions on industry productivity and sustainability. It also provided high-level insights into global trade, emphasising the transformation of agrifood systems to ensure access to food for the world’s most vulnerable populations. The event brought together a diverse range of global stakeholders involved in researching, developing, producing and marketing potatoes. The primary focus of the Congress was on positioning potatoes as a compelling and health-conscious choice of food worldwide.
Yadav at the World Potato Congress 2024.
The event offered Yadav ample opportunities to connect with the scientific community, industry partners and government stakeholders. These connections will help him establish linkages to exchange ideas and knowledge, advance the potato value chain, and have a significant impact on Nepal’s potato sector and Nepali agriculture and farming systems more widely.
The Congress also emphasised the global importance of potatoes in sustaining food security and achieving the United Nations’ sustainability goals. “To meet the Sustainable Development Goal on Zero Hunger, there is a pressing need to increase average agricultural productivity by 28% over the next decade, while simultaneously aligning with the Paris Agreement targets on agricultural emissions,” Yadav says, adding that such an increase in productivity would be more than triple that achieved in the past decade.
Yadav (second from left) attending a scholar event in Perth during his time as an Australia Awards scholar in 2019.
Yadav completed his Master of Public Policy at the University of Western Australia in 2019 with the support of an Australia Awards Scholarship. Currently, he is pursuing a PhD at the University of Western Australia’s Centre for Agricultural Economics and Development in Perth, Australia.
Reflecting on his participation in the Congress, Yadav says, “The research outputs presented at the conference, industry innovation showcases (ranging from soil nutrient management, varietal improvement and marketing innovations to mechanisation) and networking events all provided valuable insights for agricultural research and development professionals like me. These insights have enlightened me and will be a valuable source of information for advancing my professional career, inspiring me to contribute more effectively to the potato sector.”
Australian Professional Opportunities are learning and development activities funded by the Australian Government and facilitated by Australia Awards.