Meeting | pharmaceuticals, biopesticides and biodegradable plastic discussed

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By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com

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Can potatoes feed the new economy?

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The Daily Gleaner/Shawn Berry Photo

Helen Tai and Yvan Pelletier, co-leads of the BioPotato Network, say they hope the research they are overseeing will lead to new industry in Canada and maybe even some new vocations for the humble potato.

A group of 60 researchers meeting in Fredericton this week certainly thinks the humble dinner-plate staple has a whole lot more to offer.

The researchers, who are from nine institutions working under the umbrella of the BioPotato Network based at the Potato Research Centre in Fredericton, are here to discuss their work aimed at broadening the market for the spud.

The potato industry in Canada is already worth more than $6 billion to the economy and creates more than 30,000 jobs.

But the researchers have hopes the potato could do more.

"Our research is targeted at developing new industry based on science," said Helen Tai, a Fredericton-based researcher who is co-lead of the BioPotato Network.

"Hopefully we're going to spur new industry."

Their work includes using potatoes to make health and pharmaceutical products; producing potatoes with a low glycemic rating that are high in fibre making them even more nutritious; making biopesticides for insect control; and developing potatoes with a higher starch content that can in turn be used to make biodegradable plastic.

"One of the great potentials of this work is the replacement of petroleum products," Tai said Monday at a public session.

Work on developing innovative products like the high-starch potatoes that can be used to produce create biodegradable plastic may be of particular benefit, she said.

"What's stopping bioplastics right now is that crude oil is cheaper. But when oil prices do go up - and they will, because there is going to be a scarcity of resources - bioplastics are going to be more and more attractive in price."

"But we have to do the work now to find the alternatives."

Yvan Pelletier, a researcher and the other co-chair of the network, said the work is garnering attention.

"There are industries out there that are interested in what we're doing," he said.

"They're looking at products we are producing that they can then use."

Researchers in the three-year project continue their meetings today in the city.

The researchers are working in four groups that are looking at creating:

* potatoes with higher starch content for pharmaceutical and bioplastic uses;

* potatoes with a low glycemic rating that are high in fibre;

* natural insecticides and biopesticides;

* potatoes that are even more nutritious.

Tai said this week's meetings are a good opportunity for researchers to meet face to face and explain each component of the research and plot a course for the future.