All set for the International Potato Symposium. The leading product of Macfrut 2025, The International Potato Symposium brings together experts from France, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Egypt, Namibia and Italy to discuss the third most cultivated species on the planet. The event at the fair will be structured over several days: Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 May dedicated to meetings on the market, consumption and agronomic aspects; Thursday 8 May a look at European research and technical visits. Participation in the Symposium is free.

“With 35 speakers from all over Europe, the Potato Symposium will have an international scope that has been missing in Italy for some time,” explains the coordinator of the Symposium Luciano Trentini , agronomist and expert in the sector. “The presence of this event in the Macfrut event, the most important supply chain fair in the sector, is no coincidence. Because a supply chain journey is proposed over the course of the three days with the Potato: from the exhibition phase to the conference phase, up to the commercial phase and research. A 360-degree proposal in which visitors and technicians can find answers together with international operators, global stakeholders and the leading researchers in the sector.”

Going into the merits of the International Potato Symposium, on the first day European institutions and associations present current issues such as the development prospects of the sector and the analysis of the fresh market and industrial processing of potatoes. A session of the conference deals with the defense issues that now concern producers throughout Europe. International speakers explain how it is possible to defend oneself from wireworms, commonly called “ferretti”, or from Cyperus esculentus, considered an extremely harmful weed so much so that it has been included in the list of the most dangerous invasive species by the Eppo (European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization).

On the second day (Wednesday 7 May) commercial issues are addressed: the trend of potato consumption, consumer preferences and how communication affects the marketing of common potatoes and those that qualify through quality brands. In the afternoon session, attention is placed on the theme of innovation in the potato supply chain, while one of the extremely current topics is linked to varietal research, which the potato grower must deal with on a daily basis, given the problems that have now grown enormously due to climate change and more.

The morning of Thursday 8 May, after the illustration of some European research projects that concern important phytosanitary issues in the sector, will be dedicated to guided visits to the exhibitors of the supply chain present at the fair. The international picture is completed by a cross-section of Italian potato growing through some interventions relating to issues of economic, environmental and innovation sustainability. We recall that the European Union has recognized 6 denominations for this species in Italy: Patata dell'Alto Vierbese PGI, Patata della Sila PGI, Patata del Fucino PGI, Patata di Bologna PDO, Patata di Galatina PDO, Patata Rossa di Colfiorito PGI.