UNECE Seed Potato Standard at the center of World Potato Congress webinar

March 10, 2026

The seed potato standard of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has long served as an important international reference for certification and quality control in the seed potato trade. Governments, certification authorities, growers, exporters and buyers use the framework to align quality requirements and inspection procedures. Its purpose is to facilitate fair trade, increase transparency and harmonize certification systems across countries.

Comprehensive revision completed in 2025

The UNECE Seed Potato Standard was first introduced in 1968 and has been updated regularly to reflect developments in plant health, production systems and international trade. In 2022 a major review process began, leading to a fully revised version adopted in late 2025 following extensive international consultation.

The updated standard provides clearer guidance on certification procedures, inspection approaches and the management of diseases and pests. It also strengthens provisions on traceability and labelling throughout the supply chain. According to the organizers, the revisions are intended to ensure that the standard remains aligned with modern seed potato production and the realities of global trade.

During the webinar, panellists outlined the key changes and discuss how the updated framework is implemented in different national certification systems.

International panel with broad practical experience

The discussion brings together specialists who work daily with seed potato certification, plant health and regulatory systems in different parts of the world.

One of the panellists is Dr. Hanna Kortemaa of Finland. She serves as Director of the Plant Production Department at the Finnish Food Authority and has more than thirty years of experience in seed potato certification. Kortemaa studied agriculture at the University of Helsinki with a specialization in plant pathology and plant protection. After several years in research and teaching at the university, she joined the Finnish Food Authority in 1995. Over the years she has held several senior positions, including Head of the Seed Health and Seed Potato Laboratory and Head of the Seed Certification Unit. Since 2019 she has chaired the UNECE Specialized Section on Standardization of Seed Potatoes and led the international working group responsible for the comprehensive revision of the standard adopted in 2025.

Dr. Nigel Crump represents Australia on the panel.
He is General Manager and Principal Plant Pathologist of the Australian Seed Potato Industry Certification Authority (AuSPICA), which operates Australia’s largest integrated seed potato certification system.
As a plant pathologist, he works closely with growers and industry to maintain seed health, ensure biosecurity and safeguard the integrity of certification programs across the Australian potato sector.
Crump also serves as Secretary and Director of the World Potato Congress and is Vice Chair of the UNECE Specialized Section on Seed Potatoes.

The Netherlands is represented by Dr. ir. Laura van Bezouwen, policy officer for seed potatoes at NAK, the Dutch inspection service responsible for certification of seed potatoes and seed crops. She studied Plant Sciences and obtained a master’s degree in Plant Biotechnology at Wageningen University. After completing a PhD in which she used electron microscopy to study Photosystem II, she worked several years as a postdoctoral researcher. For the past five years she has been working at NAK, where she focuses on certification policy. Her work involves translating European and national regulations into practical certification procedures and integrating new developments and innovations in the sector into the Dutch certification system.

From South Africa, André Wessels joins the panel. He is Technical Manager at the Potato Certification Service (PCS), where he oversees national certification operations across thirteen production regions. Wessels has more than fifteen years of experience in seed potato certification and focuses on operational efficiency, compliance with technical standards and risk management within the South African certification scheme.
His work also includes developing science-based measures to address risks related to plant health and varietal purity, as well as training and evaluating certification inspectors.

The panel is completed by Dr. Triona Davey from Scotland. She leads the Potatoes, Virology and Zoology team at SASA, a division of the Scottish Government responsible for plant health and certification support. Davey specializes in potato virology, seed potato certification and phytosanitary requirements. Her team supports the technical standards underpinning the Scottish Seed Potato Classification Scheme (SPCS), which is internationally recognized for its high phytosanitary quality. She also serves as Vice Chair of the UNECE Specialized Section on Standardization of Seed Potatoes.

Practical implications for certification and trade

The webinar focused strongly on the practical implications of the revised UNECE standard. Panellists will explain the reasons behind the revision, discuss the updated quality requirements and certification procedures, and share experiences from different countries implementing the standard.

According to the World Potato Congress, broader awareness and consistent application of the UNECE Seed Potato Standard can contribute to greater harmonization between certification systems and strengthen the reliability of international seed potato trade.

The webinar is online avialable at the World Potato Congress website.

Towards the World Potato Congress in Kenya

The webinar is part of the ongoing WPC webinar series leading up to the 13th World Potato Congress, which will take place in October in Naivasha, Kenya. The congress will once again bring together researchers, companies and policymakers from across the global potato value chain.

Through initiatives such as this webinar series, the World Potato Congress aims to promote knowledge exchange and support the continued development of the global potato sector.

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