Fast growing population and their demand for potatoes worldwide have led to a more important role of the plant in the world food security system, said representatives attending the on-going International Potato Conference.

The global demand for potatoes will increase by 20 percent and the developing countries will double their potato demand by 2020, outweighing that for rice, wheat and maize, said latest research by the International Potato Center.

More than 1,200 scholars and business leaders from 46 nations and regions attended the Fifth International Potato Conference, which opened Friday in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province.

With a more prominent role, potatoes would help build the world food security system worldwide, said Hubert Zandstra, director-general of the International Potato Center.

China is expected to sign agreements with the Netherlands and some ASEAN nations on technical and trade cooperation for potato production and transaction at the conference.

"We should not underestimate the function of potato to help resolve the famine problem and combat natural disasters given its high yield, strong adaptability and rich nutrients," said Zhang Baowen, Chinese Vice Minister of Agriculture.

China is currently the biggest potato grower in the world with an average annual output of 66 million tons but less than a quarter of annual potato output in the country is processed into products for daily consumption.

The conference has agreed to set up a global gene bank for potato as the plant's biological diversity is now under threat with the changing growing environment.

(Xinhua News Agency March 28, 2004)