聯合國土豆攝影大賽慶"薯年"

The United Nations is seeking photographers to 'capture the spirit of the spud' as part of a competition aimed at raising the profile of the humble tuber for International Year of the Potato.

Photographers are invited to enter images in a contest to honour the root vegetable's role in fighting hunger and poverty, the UN food agency said Wednesday.

"Photographers who explore the world of the potato will find plenty of subject matter," said the Food and Agriculture Organisation's roots and tubers expert NeBambi Lutaladio.

The contest, part of events marking the International Year of the Potato, will help raise "global awareness of the potato's key contribution to agriculture, the economy and world food security," FAO said in a statement.

"Fostering improved potato-based systems (will) help countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals," the Rome-based agency said.

Photographers are challenged "to capture the spirit of the International Year in images that illustrate potato biodiversity, cultivation, processing, trade, marketing, consumption and utilisation," the statement said.

The potato is the world's number-four food crop after rice, wheat and maize, with annual production of more than 300 million tonnes in more than 100 countries, the FAO said.

Sponsored by Japanese camera maker Nikon, the contest has separate categories for professional and amateur photographers and will award prizes totalling 7,200 euros (11,000 dollars).

爲了慶祝今年的“國際馬鈴薯年”，聯合國日前在全世界範圍內開展了一項以“捕捉土豆風采”爲主題的攝影大賽，以此提升小土豆的形象。

據聯合國糧食署於本週三介紹，這項比賽旨在突出馬鈴薯在抗擊飢餓和貧困方面所發揮的重要作用，世界各地的攝影師可提交以土豆爲主題的攝影作品。

聯合國糧農組織塊莖作物專家內班比•魯塔拉迪奧說：“通過對馬鈴薯的研究，攝影師們會發現有很多可做題材。”

糧農組織在一項聲明中表示，作爲“國際馬鈴薯年”的慶祝活動之一，這項攝影比賽將使“全世界進一步意識到馬鈴薯對農業、經濟及世界糧食安全所做出的重要貢獻”。

位於羅馬的聯合國糧農組織還說：“培育健全的馬鈴薯產業體系有助於世界各國實現千年發展目標。”

該聲明提出，攝影師們“要通過作品展現馬鈴薯的生物多樣性、耕種方式、加工、貿易、推廣、消費及用途，從而彰顯‘國際馬鈴薯年’的精神”。

聯合國糧農組織稱，馬鈴薯是僅次於大米、小麥和玉米的世界第四大糧食作物，目前全世界共有100多個國家種植馬鈴薯，世界年產量超過3億噸。

該攝影大賽由日本尼康相機制造公司提供贊助，將分爲專業組和業餘組，獎金總額達到7200歐元（合1.1萬美元）。