From May 19-30 the conference of the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity are meeting in Bonn, Germany. Tomorrow, May 22, is the International Day for Biological Diversity and this year's theme is Biodiversity and Agriculture. Podcasts of the much of the conference are available on the CBD website.

2008 is also the International Year of the Potato. As global cereal supplies fall, more attention is turning to the potato. Potatoes are not traded on world markets to the same extent as cereals are. As a result, their prices are determined at more local scales. While the price of grains has been rising steadily, that of the potato has remained quite stable. Combined with the fact that potatoes produce more food on less land than maize, wheat or rice, potato production can provide a measure of food security to poor communities throughout the world. To learn about potatoes visit the International Potato Center.

The vital potato crop is one of the subjects being discussed at the CBD conference. Listen to this podcast to hear from a panel of potato experts including farmers, representatives from the International Potato Center, the Global Crop Diversity Trust and a seed company among others for discussion on several crucial aspects of the potato: biodiversity conservation, farmers breeding rights, the potato in climate change, prices, food security and more.

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