Call for entries: 2025 Sweetpotato Communications Award now open

GLOBAL – Entries are now open for the 2025 Sweetpotato Communications Award, which honours individuals and teams who have made a real difference in how sweetpotato research is communicated.

“This award honors individuals or teams making a real impact in sweetpotato research and storytelling, recognizing creativity, reach, and engagement,” outlined the organising team led by the International Potato Center (CIP) in an official announcement.

The award covers communication efforts carried out between January 2023 and December 2024. It will highlight work that shows strong creativity, influence, and engagement across different audiences.

Eligible entries can include videos, images, audio files, PDFs, and presentations. These may feature any type of sweetpotato, not just the orange-fleshed kind.

Submissions are open to staff working under the Sweetpotato for Profit and Health Initiative (SPHI) and SweetGAINS. This includes national research institutions, NGOs, private sector partners, as well as teams from the International Potato Center (CIP) and other CGIAR research centres.

Products may be in any language, but each entry must include an English translation. The entry form itself must also be in English.

The submission deadline is 1 October 2025. Entries will be judged on their creativity, impact, reach, and ability to engage diverse groups. Teams or individuals can send in more than one entry.

“Competition organizers will promote the winning product on the Sweetpotato Knowledge Portal and other relevant websites. Practitioners and their respective organizations will be fully credited for their work,” organisers said. The winning entry will be announced during the International Society for Root and Tuber Crops (ISRTC) meeting in November 2025.

Broader momentum in the root crop sector

This announcement comes as Kenya prepares to host the 13th World Potato Congress in Nairobi from late October to mid-November 2026.

The country secured the opportunity after successfully reclaiming it from Poland. Nairobi was chosen because of its strong potato industry, central location, and support from key institutions.

The Congress is backed by the National Potato Council of Kenya (NPCK), Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), and CIP.

It will focus on improving seed systems, scaling up farmer-focused innovation, building stronger links between public and private sectors, and supporting trade and food security across the region.

Together, the communications award and upcoming congress reflect a growing focus on knowledge-sharing and practical partnerships in the sweetpotato and potato sectors.

Those interested can apply here: https://bit.ly/SweetpotatoAward-2025

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