Greenpeace Co-Founder Patrick Moore to Highlight World Potato congress environmental session

Dr. Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace, the world’s largest environmental activist organization, will address environmental issues as part of the opening day program for the Sixth World Potato Congress. A leader in the international environmental field for over 30 years, Dr. Moore served for nine years as President of Greenpeace Canada and seven years as a Director of Greenpeace International.

Dr. Moore says, "The future of agriculture, including the future of potatoes as a nutritious food, depends on advances in biotechnology, including genetic enhancement for improvements in human health and environmental protection." Dr. Moore’s presentation will cover biotechnology as it relates to the environment and the global potato industry.

In recent years, Dr. Moore has been focused on the promotion of sustainability and consensus building among competing concerns. He served as a member of the British Columbia government-appointed Round Table on the Environment and Economy from 1990 - 1994. In 1990 he founded and chaired the BC Carbon Project, a group that worked to develop a common understanding of climate change.

Dr. Moore served for four years as Vice President, Environment for Waterfurnace International, a manufacturer of geothermal heat pumps for residential heating and cooling with renewable earth energy. He is now a Director of NextEnergy Solutions, the largest distributor of geothermal systems in Canada.

As Chair of the Sustainable Forestry Committee of the Forest Alliance of British Columbia from 1991 - 2002, he led the process of developing the "Principles of Sustainable Forestry" which were adopted by a majority of the industry. In 2000 he published Green Spirit – Trees are the Answer, a photo-book that provides a new insight into how forests work and how they can play a powerful role in solving many of our current environmental problems.

Dr. Moore currently serves as Chair and Chief Scientist of Greenspirit Strategies, a consultancy focusing on environmental policy and communications in forestry, agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, mining, biodiversity, energy and climate change.

Sixth World Potato Congress Steering Committee Chairman, Dr. Joseph Guenthner proclaims, “I have seen Patrick Moore make presentations in the US and in England. He completely captivates his audiences. We were all on the edges of our chairs hanging on his every word. Not only does he have tremendous credibility as a founder of Greenpeace, but he is also an outstanding communicator. It is fascinating to hear about his common sense, practical ideas to enhance the environment without destroying businesses.”

The first full day of Sixth World Potato Congress programming – Tuesday, August 21 – will look at a range of issues confronting the international potato industry. In addition to Dr. Moore’s look at environmental issues, presentations will examine the potato industry in developing countries, the outlook for the international potato industry, and global trends in crop protection, potato processing, and equipment development.

To register online for the Sixth World Potato Congress, click here.

For more information about the Sixth World Potato Congress contact Project Manager Monty Cox at (703) 245-8082.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!