The changing world of potatoes
Hosted by the National Potato Innovation Centre (NPIC) as part of the International Day of Potato.
Potatoes are the world’s third most important food crop and the UK’s second most valuable food sector, contributing £4.5 billion annually. Although global uncertainty continues to present challenges for the potato industry, innovation across both industry and research is creating new opportunities.
This programme will explore key developments across the GB potato sector over the past year, presented by Alex Godfrey from GB Potatoes, alongside an analysis of how recent global events and trade dynamics are shaping international potato markets from Cedric Porter of World Potato Markets.
As the Scottish Government-funded “PCN Action Scotland” project concludes, Kerry Leslie from SRUC will discuss outcomes for the industry and outline priorities for future action on potato cyst nematodes.
Advances in precision breeding and their potential applications for future potato cultivars will be explored through an ongoing project coordinated by Sasha Eremina at The Sainsbury Laboratory. The importance of potato nutrition will also be highlighted through findings from a recent white paper presented by Rob Ward of Vitagri.
Completing the programme, Gordon McDougall from James Hutton Institute will examine opportunities to revalorise potato waste into novel products and new economic opportunities.
Webinar agenda
Chair: Ian Toth, Director of the National Potato Innovation Centre at The James Hutton Institute.
Welcome and Introductions – Ian Toth
Speaker sessions
- GB potato industry update 2025-26 – Alex Godfrey (GB Potatoes)
- An Upturned World Potato Market – Cedric Porter (World Potato Markets)
- Outcomes from the PCN Action Scotland project – Kerry Leslie (SRUC)
- Precision breeding in potato – Sasha Eremina (The Sainsbury Laboratory)
- Beyond Yield: Soil Health and Nutrient Density in Potatoes – Rob Ward (Vitagri)
- Novel uses for potato: Solanesol and protein – Gordon McDougall (The James Hutton Institute)
Speaker Biographies
Chair: Ian Toth, Director of the National Potato Innovation Centre at The James Hutton Institute.
Ian Toth is Director of the National Potato Innovation Centre and Scotland’s Plant Health Centre, is a Visiting Professor at the University of Glasgow, and holds leadership roles in the potato sector, including President of the European Association for Potato Research (EAPR) and Chair of Potatoes in Practice. He also contributes to national and international potato initiatives, including on the Board of The Seed Potato Organisation, and as a member of the GB Potatoes Virus Technical Working Group, GB PCN Forum and International Potato Partnership. In 2020, he chaired the Scottish Government’s PCN working group and received the British Potato Industry Award for lifetime contribution to the industry. He will host the 23rd EAPR Conference in Edinburgh in 2027.
Alex Godfrey, GB Potatoes
Alex Godfrey is a British potato grower and chair of GB Potatoes, the organisation representing the UK potato industry. He is also a director of his family farming business in Lincolnshire, which grows potatoes and other arable crops.
Previously chair of the NFU Potato Forum, Godfrey has focused on industry representation, sustainability, and developing future talent within the British potato sector.
Cedric Porter, World Potato Markets
Cedric Porter is a UK agricultural journalist and market analyst, best known as editor of World Potato Markets, a global briefing on potato production, trade and pricing. He has over 25 years’ experience covering agricultural markets and is a regular speaker at international farming and potato industry events.
He has also served on the UK Trade & Agriculture Commission, worked as a non-executive director in the potato sector, and supports sustainable farming initiatives through LEAF.
Kerry Leslie, SRUC
Kerry Leslie is a Scottish agricultural consultant and potato specialist with SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College). She advises growers on potato agronomy, seed production, soil health, storage and crop management across Scotland and the wider UK.
She is a regular contributor to industry events, research projects and technical discussions focused on improving potato productivity, sustainability and resilience in commercial farming.
Sasha Eremina, The Sainsbury Laboratory
Sasha Eremina is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at The Sainsbury Laboratory, specialising in commercialising research in potato diseases, plant–pathogen interactions and precision breeding technologies. Her work focuses on improving disease resistance and crop resilience through advanced genetic approaches.
She works on collaborative projects aimed at developing more sustainable potato production systems and accelerating the use of precision breeding tools in agriculture.
Rob Ward, Vitagri
Rob Ward is CEO of Vitagri, a UK organisation focused on the links between soil health, farming practices, crop nutrient density and human wellbeing. He comes from a long-established farming family and remains actively involved in regenerative farming alongside his work in AgTech and food systems innovation.
His work focuses on nutrient-dense food production and sustainable agriculture, bringing together farmers, researchers and the food industry. Through Vitagri’s “Growing Health” programme, he promotes better understanding of how farming methods influence the nutritional quality of crops such as potatoes.
Gordon McDougall, The James Hutton Institute
Gordon McDougall is a plant scientist and researcher at The James Hutton Institute, specialising in plant chemistry, crop quality and the health benefits of potatoes and other crops. His work focuses on bioactive compounds, nutrition, and how breeding, growing conditions and processing affect end-user quality.
He contributes to collaborative research projects aimed at extending the use of potato biomass through circular economy approaches, including the valorisation of co-products for novel end-uses.
About National Potato Innovation Centre (NPIC)
This webinar is hosted by the Hutton through the National Potato Innovation Centre (NPIC). NPIC is based at The James Hutton Institute and works partnership with stakeholders, academic, industry and government in the UK and beyond to carry out scientific research to future proof the potato industry and support economic resilience and growth. We do this through innovation, generating new findings and innovating products. We are currently planning a state-of-the-art innovation centre to support the work of NPIC.
