The International Year of the Potato (IYP) World Photography Contest, "Focus on a Global Food", supported by Nikon Europe, is an invitation to reflect on the potato's key role in agriculture, the economy, and world food security; to offer new insights into potato biodiversity, cultivation, processing, trade, marketing, and consumption; and to contribute to a free and international exchange of information on this globally important food crop. The contest supports two key objectives of the International Year of the Potato (IYP): to increase awareness of the importance of potato as a food in developing nations, and to promote research and development of potato-based systems as a means of contributing to achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).


The contest is divided into two categories: Professional photographers (people who make their living from photography) and Amateur photographers. All entrants must be over 18 years of age. Prizes in the professional photographers' category range from 1st place - US$4,000 and a Nikon D300 kit to 3rd place - US$1,000 and a Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 16-85mm. Prizes in the amateur photographers' category range from 1st place - US$2,000 and a Nikon D60 kit to 3rd place - US$500 and a Nikon Coolpix S600 camera.


The deadline for application is September 1 2008.

Photographs must be submitted as digital files in JPEG format. Each entrant may submit either a single JPEG image or a "photo story" of from 4 to 8 related JPEG images. Images must be 300 dpi resolution, and 20 cm x 30 cm. They may be taken with a digital camera, or may be scans in JPEG format of negatives, transparencies or prints.
Click here for more information.

Click here for contest rules and links to entry forms.

Click here to see winners of the 2004 rice photo competition.