Transcript: SDGs and AgTech hotspot activity

SDG 2: Zero hunger

SDG 2 aims to create a world free of hunger.

Target 2.4 seeks to implement sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices globally by 2030. This will improve land and soil quality, increase productivity and production, help maintain ecosystems, and strengthen capacity for adaptation to deal with climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other natural disasters.

As the global population grows and the negative impact of climate change poses challenges to growing crops and raising animals, it’s vital to work to end food scarcity. Enough food needs to be produced to feed everyone, but unlike our agricultural past, this needs to be done without damaging the environment.

Some ways AgTech can help:

• Techniques like precision farming, supported by innovations like farm management software, drones, sensors, and smart water systems, will help make farming more efficient and crops more robust.
• Biotechnology can be used to develop crops that are more resilient to pests and climate change.
• Digital platforms can now give farmers in remote areas access to more markets and buyers, best practice information, online training to improve their skills and knowledge, and the opportunity to build their network.

Sources:

Joint SDG Fund (2023) Goal 2: Zero Hunger, Joint SDG Fund website, accessed 20 April 2023. https://jointsdgfund.org/sustainable-development-goals/goal-2-zero-hunger

Nathan, T (20 Jan 2023) ‘True prosperity will be found in the embrace of the digital economy. These farmers prove it’, World Economic Forum website, accessed 3 May 2023, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/embrace-digital-economy-farmers-africa-davos-2023/

Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (2018) Biotechnology and agriculture in Australia: policy snapshot, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, Australian Government, accessed 3 May 2023. https://www.agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land/farm-food-drought/biotechnology/biotechnology-agriculture-australia-policy-snapshot#benefits

SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

SDG 9 aims to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation.

Target 9.4 focuses on upgrading infrastructure to make industries more sustainable, with a more efficient use of resources, and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.

Agricultural production relies on infrastructure like roads and buildings, livestock processing facilities, and systems running irrigation, energy, waste, pest control, and water management. Strong, modern, and sustainable infrastructure can help farmers cope with unexpected events like power shortages, extreme weather or economic downturn.

Some ways AgTech can help:

• Precision agriculture and developing and installing digital systems which monitor soil health, water use, and weather patterns can help farmers see when interventions need to take place.
• Infrastructure that reduces a farm’s carbon footprint, like renewable energy sources and systems, also saves farmers money, makes farms more energy independent, and increases agricultural resilience.
• Upgrading farms with digital platforms can improve farmers’ agricultural practices. This is especially important for those in rural and remote communities.
• Indoor and vertical farming allows for more efficient use of space and reduces the environmental impact on crops.

Sources:

Joint SDG Fund (2023) Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, Infrastructure, Joint SDG Fund website, accessed 20 April 2023. https://jointsdgfund.org/sustainable-development-goals/goal-9-industry-innovation-infrastructure

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) (2018) Transforming Food and Agriculture to Achieve the SGDs: 20 interconnected actions to guide decision-makers, FAO website, accessed 2 May 2023. https://www.fao.org/3/I9900EN/i9900en.pdf

SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production

SDG 12 is about ensuring that production and consumption are sustainable. 

Target 12.3 aims to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains by 2030.

Agricultural production includes activities like growing crops, raising livestock, and harvesting fruit and vegetables. This process can have a significant impact on the environment. In some areas, poor farming methods are depleting nutrients in the soil faster than they can form. What’s more, every year, the world loses, or wastes, about a third of the food it produces. When produce is lost, it can affect society greatly by causing price increases and threatening food security. Not to mention the waste of resources like water and energy that were used to produce the food in the first place.

Some ways AgTech can help:

• Farm management software and precision agriculture practices allow farmers to collect data on crop health and analyse food loss in past seasons. This enables them to take action to prevent future losses.
• AgTech can help prevent soil damage from occurring in the first place, which is much cheaper and more sustainable than trying to restore degraded soil.
• Renewable energy sources and smart energy systems improve the sustainability of production in farming.
• Agriculture uses the most water worldwide, but innovations like smart irrigation reduce unnecessary water use, preserving this vital resource and making farming more sustainable.

Sources:

Joint SDG Fund (2023) Goal 12: Responsible Consumption, Production, Joint SDG Fund website, accessed 20 April 2023. https://jointsdgfund.org/sustainable-development-goals/goal-12-responsible-consumption-production

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) (2018) Transforming Food and Agriculture to Achieve the SGDs: 20 interconnected actions to guide decision-makers, FAO website, accessed 2 May 2023. https://www.fao.org/3/I9900EN/i9900en.pdf

SDG 15: Life on land

SDG 15 is focused on protecting, restoring, and promoting sustainable use of ecosystems, forests, and biodiversity.   

Target 15.3 relates to halting and reducing land degradation and biodiversity loss.

Land degradation is when the quality of land, soils, or ecosystems is damaged, usually due to human activities like intensive farming, deforestation, and mining. This makes it more difficult to grow crops in the soil, damages ecosystems forcing animals and insects out of their habitats, and because plants are cut down and soil loses its ability to store carbon, there are more greenhouse gas emissions.

Some ways AgTech can help:

• Precision agriculture involves the targeted use of pesticides, limiting their impact on the environment. It can also tackle the issue of land degradation by providing systems that allow for early intervention.
• Biotechnology can reduce the need for pesticides and make crops more resistant to pests and climate.
• Sensors monitor soil health and alert farmers to at-risk areas.
• Smart irrigation systems prevent waterlogging and soil erosion due to excess water.

Source:

Joint SDG Fund (2023) Goal 15: Life on Land, Joint SDG Fund website, accessed 20 April 2023. https://jointsdgfund.org/sustainable-development-goals/goal-15-life-land