With additional reporting by Siobhán Walsh
Details of a joint initiative with promotional agencies in France and Belgium with the aim of promoting fresh potatoes among European millennials have been announced by Bord Bia today.
Bord Bia – alongside CNIPT (France), VLAM (Belgium) and Europatat (EU Potato Trade Association) – will launch a new campaign titled: ‘Potatoes, prepare to be surprised – Europe’s favourite since 1536’ this spring.
Speaking at the National Potato Conference – organised jointly by Bord Bia, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) and Teagasc – Lorcan Bourke, fresh produce and potato manager at Bord Bia, said: “Today’s National Potato Conference positions the potato as ‘The Food of the Future’.
The crop has many benefits including its high nutritional content and its natural sustainability credentials.
“These themes will feature in the wider EU-campaign, as we know that these are issues important to our target audience of people aged 18-34.”
The National Potato Conference is taking place at the Red Cow Hotel today.
While research has shown that there is little rejection of potatoes among this demographic, the campaign aims to increase the purchase frequency of millennials to future-proof potatoes within modern diets.
Concluding, Bourke outlined: “We want to continue to promote potatoes to this generation to encourage consumption.”