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Story and photos by Dave Alexander, Publisher
The reputation of the Idaho Potato Conference and Eastern Idaho Ag Expo in Pocatello, Idaho, is well known in the potato industry as a first-rate conference, well worth attending. This year’s show ran Jan. 17-19, and, as always, the floor of Idaho State University’s Holt Arena was crammed with new farming equipment, and the educational sessions were packed with attendees.
The sessions featured a wide variety of subjects in English and Spanish. Topics included soil health, pest management, storage and a series of “Potatoes 101” talks, all delivered by noted researchers. The CEOs of Potatoes USA and the Idaho Potato Commission were also on hand in Pocatello, keeping attendees up to date on the latest news. Their job is to not only market potatoes at large, but also to keep America’s favorite vegetable in a positive light and boost the humble spud’s reputation.
Healthy Choice
Jamey Higham, president and CEO of the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC), brought some exciting news from Boise. Though final details are still in the works, the IPC has entered into a marketing agreement with the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
Higham stated that according to the CDC and the ADA, almost 50 percent of adults in the U.S. are living with diabetes or pre-diabetes, and many of those people firmly believe they cannot eat potatoes.
“We’ve set out to change that mindset,” Higham said.
To help change the perception that potatoes are an unhealthy source of carbs, the IPC has entered into a three-year arrangement with the ADA. The aim is to help people understand that potatoes can be part of healthy eating habits for all, including those with diabetes. Idaho potato growers and packers will soon be able to use the ADA’s “Better Choices for Life” logo on 5- and 10-pound bags of Idaho potatoes. This logo helps guide supermarket choices for tens of millions of Americans and should have a significant impact on the potato’s nutritional standing with consumers.
“I believe a rising tide lifts all boats and think this is going to be good for our entire industry as a whole, and it was right for us to do it,” Higham stated.
Reputation Management
Potatoes USA is also doing its part to uplift the reputation of potatoes. During his address to attendees in Pocatello, Blair Richardson, CEO of Potatoes USA, said about two years ago Potatoes USA started fighting back aggressively when negative, incorrect or biased information was published about potatoes. When Potatoes USA staff finds such stories, they contact the writers, editors, publishers and even researchers who put the articles together. Potatoes USA has the knowledge gained from $20 million in research to better understand the health and nutritional benefits of potatoes to help argue the case.
Well-armed with this fact-based science from the Alliance for Potato Research & Education (APRE), Richardson’s group seeks retractions and corrections to negative stories about potatoes. Richardson said it is not easy to get articles changed, but Potatoes USA has had a 39 percent success rate in doing so. Most groups would be elated with a 10 percent change rate, he said.
Potatoes USA is waging a two-year, ongoing battle with the Culinary Institute of America. In its guiding initiatives to get restaurants and foodservice outlets to cook healthier, the Institute recommends limiting potatoes. Spuds are the only vegetable called out in a negative way on the guidelines.
“We’re really close to getting to the point where they will remove that,” Richardson said.
Due to personnel changes at the Institute and Potatoes USA’s constant efforts, Richardson expects the “limit potatoes” verbiage to be dropped in the next 12 to 18 months.
“We’re really trying to keep the reputation of the potato in a positive light, and we’ve done a lot more work on that in recent years,” Richardson stated.
